The Orioles announced earlier this week that they have signed infielder to a minor league contract. It’s not yet clear if the deal includes an invitation to major league Spring Training next year.
He, 28, originally signed with the Blue Jays as an amateur out of Venezuela and began his professional career in 2013. Early on, he quickly climbed the prospect rankings, becoming a consensus top-100 prospect by the time Toronto traded him to Oakland in the 2015 Josh Donaldson deal. He retained his top-100 status for several years, even as his offensive performance declined in the higher minor league levels.
In 2016, He posted a solid .281/.340/.413 slash line over 507 plate appearances in Double-A. However, after his promotion to Triple-A, his performance fell short of expectations. While his .290/.339/.456 line in 2017 might seem impressive, it was only 3% better than the league average (per wRC+), largely inflated by an unsustainable .384 BABIP. Additionally, his strikeout rate jumped significantly, raising concerns about his approach at the plate.
Despite these issues, the A’s called Him up to the majors in 2017, where he struggled in his debut, hitting just .197/.250/.352 with a striking 43.4% strikeout rate in 76 plate appearances. In 2018, his performance improved slightly, with a .233/.253/.493 line and five home runs in 75 plate appearances, but his lack of plate discipline (38.3% strikeout rate, 1.3% walk rate) continued to be a problem.
Barreto’s performance worsened over the next two seasons, and after failing to produce in 68 big league plate appearances, the A’s traded him to the Angels during the 2020 season for veteran Tommy La Stella. Barreto’s struggles persisted with Anaheim, where he hit .118/.167/.118 over 18 plate appearances, striking out 44.4% of the time. That brief stint marked his last appearance in the majors.
Since then, Barreto has signed minor league deals with the Astros and Nationals and spent time in the Mexican League, where he excelled in 2023 with the Diablos Rojos del Mexico. Over 76 games, he posted an impressive .343/.430/.576 line with 372 plate appearances, catching the Orioles’ attention.
Now part of Baltimore’s organization, Barreto provides additional depth as a non-roster player. With the Orioles’ infield already featuring players like Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, Ramon Urias, and Jorge Mateo, Barreto will likely serve as injury insurance. Primarily a shortstop, he also has experience at second base, center field, and other positions across the diamond, except for catcher.
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