O’Day closes chapter, eager for his next

Valera makes Orioles debut at second base; Villar to report today

NEW YORK — In approving a trade to the Atlanta Braves, reliever Darren O’Day saw an opportunity to play for not only a contending team this season but also one that potentially can compete for a World Series title next season.

O’Day, who is out for the remainder of the season recovering from hamstring surgery, was traded to the Braves on Tuesday with right-hander Kevin Gausman. O’Day, 35, is under contract through 2019, so the move allowed the Orioles to save $9 million of committed payroll for next season as part of their rebuild. Still, O’Day had to approve any trade because he has 10-and-5 veto rights.

“[My wife and I] talked about it and I’m getting up there in age and I only have so many chances left to win,” O’Day said. “It looks like the Orioles are rebuilding and I think that’s the right thing to do and likely won’t be competing for the postseason next year, so the opportunity to go to Atlanta where they’re kind of on an upswing as an organization is one that I didn’t hesitate to give my consent to. One of my fondest memories was 2012 when we kind of brought good baseball back to Baltimore to a hungry fan base, and I guess Atlanta is kind of on that upswing now and it probably feels a lot like that. It’s an exciting opportunity to do that again.”

While Tuesday’s deadline deals of Gausman and Jonathan Schoop were surprising, the fact that O’Day was traded was even more of a shock in the clubhouse, catcher Caleb Joseph said.

“I didn’t even consider Darren, maybe because he’s on the [disabled list],” Joseph said. “That’s the one that really threw me in a tailspin personally. It’s really tough saying goodbye to Schoop and Gausman. I think O’Day was the real shocker. I never really considered that, a guy who’s been a rock for the whole staff for a number of years now.”

O’Day said there was a list of teams he wouldn’t have approved a trade to, but said he would have likely approved a trade to any team he considered a contender next season. But the fit with Atlanta was a good one, as he will be reunited with former Orioles Nick Markakis and Ryan Flaherty on the field as well as former Orioles pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti in the Braves front office.

“The decision to go to Atlanta was the easiest decision for me,” O’Day said. “But I would have had to strongly consider going to any other team, to a team that has a chance to win next year. When I played for the Rangers, I played in two World Series. We were one strike away from winning the ring a couple times. But we just couldn’t do it, and ever since then, it’s been my goal to get back there to do that again.” First Valera, then Villar: Infielder Jonathan Villar, the major league piece the Orioles acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Jonathan Schoop trade, will join the team today when the club opens a four-game series at the Texas Rangers.

“I’ve seen the history of him, like you all have,” manager Buck Showalter said of Villar, who will be coming off the disabled list after recovering from a thumb injury. “I’ve talked to a lot of people who’ve had him. He’s capable of playing a lot of places.”

Villar, 27, will likely be the starting second baseman, replacing Schoop. He’s also played shortstop and third base.

Infielder Breyvic Valera, one of the five players received from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Manny Machado trade, was called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday and started at second base Wednesday. Carroll makes debut: Right-handed reliever Cody Carroll, a former New York Yankees prospect who was one of three players received for former closer Zach Britton, made his major league debut by pitching a scoreless seventh inning in Wednesday’s win at Yankee Stadium.

Showing a fastball that averaged 96.8 mph and command to all parts of the plate, Carroll, 25, worked around a two-out double to Giancarlo Stanton. He induced two lineouts and a groundout, stranding Stanton after getting Didi Gregorius to line out to center field. Around the horn: Major League Baseball said Orioles minor league pitcher Ruben Garcia, who is with Short-A Aberdeen, has received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for an amphetamine, a stimulant in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. … MarkTrumboreceived a day off Wednesday against Yankees right-hander Sonny Gray. Trumbo is just 1-for-14 against Gray in his career. … Right-hander David Hess still appears to be the likeliest option to fill Gausman’s rotation spot Saturday in Texas. … Orioles strength and conditioning coach Joe Hogarty suffered cuts to his nose and mouth after a foul ball off the bat of Adam Jones hit him in the Orioles dugout in the sixth inning Wednesday. … Former Orioles pitcher Ubaldo Jiménez, who was in New York to visit family, sat behind the Orioles dugout.