BALTIMORE — In a surprising turn of events, the Orioles have demoted one of their most reliable innings eaters in recent years.
Starting pitcher Dean Kremer was optioned to the minor leagues on Saturday after failing to make Baltimore's 2026 Opening Day roster.
The team apparently decided against fielding a six-man starting rotation.
With off-season acquisitions like Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt, along with the re-signing of Zach Eflin, Kremer became the odd man out.
It's a shocking move considering Kremer has logged four consecutive big league seasons of at least 21 starts and 125 innings pitched.
The 30-year-old righty last year posted a 4.19 ERA and win-loss record of 11-10.
He's also coming off an impressive performance in the World Baseball Classic where he pitched 4.1 scoreless innings representing team Israel against Nicaragua.
