Royals' Josh Lester: Joins Kansas City on MiLB deal
Rotowire
Lester agreed to a minor-league contract with the Royals on Sunday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Lester's contract presumably includes an invitation to big-league spring training, though the 29-year-old is likely a long shot to make the Opening Day roster and is expected to begin the campaign at Triple-A Omaha. The first baseman appeared in 11 games in the majors for the Orioles in 2023 but otherwise spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A Norfolk, slashing .257/.307/.475 with 23 home runs and 87 RBI over 469 plate appearances.
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Josh Lester: Exits Orioles organization
Rotowire
Lester elected to become a free agent Tuesday.
Lester went just 4-for-22 (.182) this season with the Orioles, but he put up 23 home runs and 87 RBI in 110 games for Triple-A Norfolk. The 29-year-old will seek out a new organization this winter.
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Orioles' Josh Lester: Outrighted to Triple-A
Rotowire
Lester cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
He's no longer on the 40-man roster, but Lester has accepted the outright assignment and will remain in the organization. The 29-year-old has an .827 OPS with 15 home runs at Norfolk this season.
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Orioles' Josh Lester: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
The Orioles designated Lester for assignment Wednesday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
After acquiring Shintaro Fujinami in a trade with Oakland on Wednesday, the Orioles were forced to push Lester off the 40-man roster to make room for Fujinami. Lester is slashing .273/.326/.504 with 15 homers and 62 RBI through 291 plate appearances in Triple-A this season and could certainly be claimed off waivers in the next few days.
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Orioles' Josh Lester: Sent down Saturday
Rotowire
Lester was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday.
Lester lost his spot on the 26-man roster with Cedric Mullins (groin) returning from the injured list. Over 23 plate appearances with the Orioles, Lester hit .182 with four RBI and a 1:7 BB:K across 11 games. If Baltimore needs another bench bat in the future, he'll likely be an option to fill a utility role.
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Orioles' Josh Lester: Selected from Triple-A
Rotowire
The Orioles selected Lester's contract from Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday.
With Danny Coulombe landing on the bereavement list Saturday, Lester will join the Orioles in his place. Lester hasn't done much in his major-league career -- he's 0-for-5 with three strikeouts -- but he's slashing .282/.339/.549 through 206 plate appearances in Triple-A this year. He'll likely serve as a bench piece in Baltimore, but his defensive versatility could allow him to enter the lineup every once in a while.
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Orioles' Josh Lester: Sent to minors camp
Rotowire
The Orioles reassigned Lester to minor-league camp Monday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Though he ultimately fell short in his bid for a reserve role on the Orioles' Opening Day roster, Lester stuck around in big-league camp longer than many anticipated heading into spring training. The 28-year-old Lester, who was able to make his MLB debut late in the 2022 season with Detroit after slugging 29 home runs for Triple-A Toledo, slashed .291/.339/.455 with five extra-base hits over his 23 Grapefruit League games this spring. Lester will likely settle into a near-everyday role at Triple-A Norfolk, seeing action at both corner-infield and corner-outfield spots.
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Orioles' Josh Lester: Two triples Tuesday
Rotowire
Lester went 3-for-4 with two triples, one RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates.
Lester had struggled earlier in the spring, but he's now hitting .387 (12-for-31) with four extra-base hits and nine RBI through 13 contests. He's gotten a long look so far, but the fact that the 28-year-old is on a minor-league deal and has just two major-league games under his belt presents a tough path to the majors.
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Orioles' Josh Lester: Joins Baltimore
Rotowire
Lester signed a minor-league contract with the Orioles on Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Lester made his major-league debut with the Tigers last season and went 0-for-5 in two games. The 28-year-old spent most of the campaign at the Triple-A level and had a .246/.311/.479 slash line with 29 home runs, 99 RBI and seven stolen bases in 145 contests.
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Tigers' Josh Lester: Cast off 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Tigers outrighted Lester to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old received the chance to make his MLB debut late in the 2022 campaign, appearing in two games and going hitless across five plate appearances while sticking on the Tigers' active roster for less than a week. Given Lester's advanced age and lack of a prospect pedigree, it's not especially surprising that he went unclaimed off waivers after he was booted off the Tigers' 40-man roster.
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Tigers' Josh Lester: Sent down Thursday
Rotowire
Lester was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.
Lester's contract was selected Sunday, and he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts over two games with the big-league club. He'll head back to the minors after Jonathan Scoop (ankle) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Thursday.
