Orioles outright Pat McCoy, Steve Lombardozzi to Norfolk, lose Scott Barnes to waiver claim

The Orioles cleared off some dead weight from the 40-man roster on Monday, which will probably end up being their biggest move of the day and possibly the entire winter meetings. Two players were outrighted to Norfolk: Pat McCoy, plucked off waivers from the Tigers after the season, and Steve Lombardozzi, acquired from the Tigers before the season. They also lost Scott Barnes on a waiver claim to the Rangers.

That clears up three spaces on the 40-man roster, meaning that the Orioles could sign two players (they won't) and still be able to select a Rule 5 player in that draft towards the close of the meetings.

This is all pretty basic Duquettian stuff. McCoy and Barnes were both speculative lefty reliever plays. We may yet see McCoy again if he impresses in spring training. We might even see Barnes again if the Rangers don't decide to keep him on the 40-man roster. Duquette keeps an eye on the guys he likes; that's how the O's ended up with Jimmy Paredes in the middle of this season even though they lost him to a waiver claim last offseason.

Those who might have pinned meager hopes of either one of these guys replacing Brian Matusz immediately will probably be kept waiting.

Lombardozzi had going for him that he was an infielder at the time when the Orioles needed an infielder early last season. He's also from Maryland. Everyone loves a local kid. But once Manny Machado was healthy and Jonathan Schoop had entrenched himself at second base, there was not much room for Lombardozzi to stick around. Across 20 games, he batted .288/.297/.329.

Is a switch hitter really worth all that much if that's what he's going to bat? Probably not. And thus he is removed from the 40-man, leaving Steve Pearce to carry the torch for Team Steve.