Guardians Outright Chris Vallimont

The Guardians have sent pitcher Chris Vallimont outright to Triple-A Columbus, according to the transaction log at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment on Monday when Cleveland claimed Ramón Laureano from Oakland.

Vallimont hasn’t thrown a big league pitch with the Guardians. His sole major league experience came last month as a member of the Orioles, when he recorded two outs in a scoreless appearance against the Yankees. Baltimore designated him for assignment shortly thereafter and sold his contract to Cleveland.

The 26-year-old righty has spent parts of five seasons in the minors. Split between four organizations — Minnesota, Miami, Baltimore and Cleveland — he owns a 4.97 ERA in 422 1/3 minor league frames. That includes a 5.65 mark between the O’s and Guardians’ Triple-A clubs in 2023. Vallimont has a serviceable 22.7% strikeout rate over that stretch, but a 12.7% walk rate is suggestive of strike-throwing concerns that have been present for much of his career.

This is the second time Vallimont has cleared waivers in his career. Baltimore outrighted him over the offseason before re-selecting his contract and then designating him again. Players with multiple career outrights have the right to test minor league free agency. It’s not clear whether Vallimont will do so or stick with Columbus and try to pitch his way back onto the MLB roster before season’s end.