BALTIMORE -- After protecting right-hander Anthony Nunez from the Rule 5 Draft earlier this month, the Orioles did the same with two additional Minor League prospects on Tuesday.
Baltimore selected the contracts of right-hander Cameron Foster and outfielder Reed Trimble from Triple-A Norfolk, adding both to the 40-man roster. To make room, outfielder Pedro León and infielder Luis Vázquez were designated for assignment.
Rule 5-eligible players had to be added to 40-man rosters by Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET to be protected by teams from the Rule 5 Draft, which will take place Dec. 10 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando. Players selected must remain on the MLB roster for the entire 2026 season or else get offered back to their initial club.
The O’s got a head start on Rule 5 Draft protection on Nov. 6, when they selected the contract of Nunez. The 24-year-old right-hander was acquired from the Mets in the Cedric Mullins trade on July 31, then recorded a 3.45 ERA in 16 relief appearances for Norfolk.
Foster was also acquired from the Mets during the Orioles’ Trade Deadline sell-off, coming over in the Gregory Soto trade on July 25. The 26-year-old righty was New York’s 14th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Like Nunez, Foster could become an option for Baltimore’s bullpen in 2026. The O’s are reconstructing the unit this winter, a process that began when they reacquired veteran righty Andrew Kittredge in a trade with the Cubs on Nov. 4.
Foster posted a 3.38 ERA in 13 relief outings for Norfolk, collecting 23 strikeouts over 16 innings. He had made only two Triple-A appearances before getting traded to the Orioles.
Trimble was Baltimore’s Competitive Balance Round B pick in the 2021 Draft out of the University of Southern Mississippi, getting taken at No. 65 overall. The 25-year-old can play all three outfield spots, which makes him a valuable depth piece to have for the future.
In 2025, Trimble was limited to 90 games across four levels due to injuries. He got his first taste of Triple-A, though, slashing .259/.319/.435 with four doubles, five home runs, 12 RBIs and eight stolen bases across 30 games for Norfolk.
Health has been an issue for Trimble, who has played only 226 games in five Minor League seasons. But he has flashed his potential at times, enough so that the O’s didn’t want to risk losing him in the Rule 5 Draft next month.
None of the players on Baltimore’s Top 30 Prospects list per MLB Pipeline were eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
Among the notable names left unprotected by the Orioles were catcher/first baseman Creed Willems, outfielder Jud Fabian and right-handers Cameron Weston, Juan Nuñez, Alex Pham and Keagan Gillies. Nuñez was selected by San Diego in last year’s Rule 5 Draft, but he was later returned to Baltimore.
Nuñez, Willems, Fabian and Pham have each appeared on the O’s Top 30 Prospects list in the past. Fabian and Pham have Triple-A experience, while Willems was a 2024 Arizona Fall League standout. Gillies has also reached Triple-A and represented the Orioles in the All-Star Futures Game earlier this year.