BALTIMORE (AP) Starting second baseman Hanser Alberto was let go Wednesday by the Baltimore Orioles, who agreed to one-year contracts with catcher Pedro Severino and infielder Yolmer Sanchez.
Severino gets $1,825,000, and Sanchez $1 million. Baltimore also reached one-year deals that avoided arbitration with right-hander Shawn Armstrong ($825,000) and infielder Pat Valaika, who will make $875,000 in the majors and $300,000 in the minors.
Orioles slugger Trey Mancini and outfielder Anthony Santander were offered 2021 contracts before Wednesday night’s deadline. Mancini missed last season while receiving treatment for colon cancer. He batted .291 with 35 homers and 97 RBIs in 2019.
The 28-year-old Alberto, who would have been eligible for salary arbitration, becomes a free agent instead. He batted .283 with three homers, 22 RBIs and a .698 OPS in 54 games during the pandemic-shortened season. He earned $611,111 as a prorated portion of his $1.65 million salary.
Severino hit .250 with five home runs, 21 RBIs and a .710 OPS.
Sanchez won a Gold Glove at second base with the Chicago White Sox in 2019. Still, he was cut by Chicago last offseason and spent much of this year with the San Francisco Giants, who released him in August. He re-signed with the White Sox before getting claimed off waivers by Baltimore in late October.
Sanchez had only 21 major league plate appearances last season, all with the White Sox.
Armstrong was 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 14 games covering 15 innings this year.
Valaika hit .277 with eight homers, 16 RBIs and a .791 OPS in 52 games for Baltimore last season.
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