Orioles sign Herrera for infield depth

With Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias asserting middle-infield depth and backend starting pitching as his team’s greatest needs this offseason, the club made a move to benefit the former Thursday.

Infielder Dilson Herrera has signed a minor league contract with Baltimore, the club announced. Herrera was ranked among Baseball America’s top 50 prospects after the 2014 season while a member of the New York Mets’ system, and although he hasn’t lived up to that billing, he’s only 25.

Herrera last played in the majors in 2018 for the Cincinnati Reds, whom he joined as part of a trade package for outfielder Jay Bruce, and also had stints with New York in 2014-15. In his major league career, Herrera is a .203/.293/ .394 hitter. He rejoined the Mets on a minor league deal for the 2019 season but didn’t reach the majors despite hitting 24 home runs with a .501 slugging percentage for New York’s Triple-A Syracuse affiliate in a year that was particularly offense-heavy in the highest rung of the minor leagues.

Coaching addition

Fredi González, the former Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves manager who most recently was back on the Marlins’ staff, is joining the Orioles as a major league coach this season to supplement manager Brandon Hyde’s staff, according to an industry source.

González, 55, was the Marlins’ major league manager while Hyde was a minor league manager in that organization, and when González was let go in 2010, Hyde was promoted to the major league staff as interim bench coach.

Hyde went on to serve on the Marlins’ staff until he left for the Chicago Cubs in 2013, while González quickly took a job with the Atlanta Braves, which he managed to three straight playoff appearances from 2011 to 2013. He rejoined the Marlins as their third base coach for the 2017 season, but was not brought back for 2020.

González fills one of the three openings on the coaching staff after first base coach Arnie Beyeler, assistant hitting coach Howie Clark and bullpen coach John Wasdin weren’t retained.

Anthony Sanders will be the first base coach, according to multiple reports.