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Veterans on Patrol in Norfolk

Writer's picture: Grant DeVivoGrant DeVivo

Several former Major League veterans are with the Norfolk Tides on Minor League contracts with the Orioles

*Cover Photo Credit: Skylar Prieto


Sometimes in Norfolk, you just never what sort of guys are going to roll through and put on the Tides orange and green. Some great veterans of Major League Baseball have come through town over the years, whether it be via a rehab assignment or a Minor League contract with the Orioles.


Back in 2017 and 2018, former Home Run Derby contestant and former Pirates and Orioles slugger, Pedro Alvarez, swatted 34 total home runs in two season as a Tide. Edwin Jackson, who threw a no-hitter with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010, pitched to a 3.10 ERA with Norfolk in 2017.


Former New York Met JD Davis is one of many MLB veterans currently with the Tides. Photo: Kate Kirsch

Recently down on the harbor, some new big league veterans have latched on in hopes of using an opportunity with the Tides to fix their skillset and get back to the Majors somehow. Perhaps they do make it back with the Orioles in the events that they need a fresh bat or arm on the roster or someone else gets hurt, though Heaven forbid another injury. Perhaps they make it back with another team who is willing to make a Minor League swap if they are interested enough.


The point is that these big league veterans are with the Tides for the time being, and Tides fans have a cool opportunity to witness some popular and familiar talent right infront of them in their hometown stadium.


A native of the Dominican Republic, the 34-year-old has bounced around with several big league teams after once being a middle-infield prodigy for the Milwaukee Brewers back in the mid-2010s. Twice an MLB All-Star (2014, 2018), Segura has amassed 1,545 career hits with a career .729 OPS and a .422 slugging percentage dating back to 2016. He last appeared in the big leagues last year, when he suited up for the Miami Marlins in 98 games with them. He is currently with the Orioles on a Minor League deal, and he is currently batting .150 with the Tides in 5 games.


Davis has a lot of defensive versatility with the ability to play both corner infield positions and left field. The 31-year-old has had some great power seasons in the past as smashed 22 home runs for the Mets in 2019 and 18 for the Giants last year. He is slugging a career .425, and he also has a respectable career .350 on-base percentage. The right-handed hitter was struggling with both the Athletics and Yankees this season, which led to his Minor League deal with the Orioles earlier this month. He is currently hitting just .219 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI for the Tides.


I actually wrote about Cooper back in July, and that article can be found in this link here. Long story short, Cooper was once a mainstay in the Marlins' line-up as their power-hitting first baseman. The 2019 All-Star slugged .436 while amassing 52 home runs and 201 RBI in 5 seasons as a Marlin. He reached the big league this season with the Cubs and Red Sox, but struggled to a .206 clip which led to his release and contract with the Orioles. Since joining the Tides, the 33-year-old has found his stride again as he is a .340 hitter with 4 home runs, 22 RBI, and a 1.007 OPS.


This switch-hitting utility player is a big league veteran of 7 season split between 5 different teams. The majority of those years were spent with the Detroit Tigers from 2018 to 2021, where he saw a ton of playing time as the Tigers hoped that he could rise to the occasion as a standout star hitter in their rebuilding lineup. From 2018 to 2019, he mashed 28 home runs and posted a .745 OPS and it appeared that he was on his way towards a long and successful career with the Tigers. He could not duplicate those numbers again and saw his Tigers tenure end after the 2022 season. He has split this season with the Angels and Rays, but caught onto a Minor League contract with the Orioles in June and is a .260 hitter with Norfolk this season. He has a .730 OPS and 14 RBI.


The Cardinals had a standout reliever in the makings in Bowman during his first two big league season in which he spun a 3.70 ERA and a 1.179 WHIP. After struggling with the Cardinals the following season, he found himself in the Reds' bullpen in 2019 where he had newfound success with a 3.66 ERA. In the several years following, Tommy John surgery kept him either off the field or in the Minor Leagues rehabbing his newly repaired arm. Since returning from surgery, he has bounced around with the Yankees, Twins, Diamondbacks, and Mariners. In limitted action, he hasa 6.16 ERA and a 1.368 WHIP in 16 innings with those four teams. He recently caught on with the Orioles on a Minor League deal and he has thrown 3 scoreless innings for the Tides so far. Those 3 innings include 6 strikeouts and no hits allowed.

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