SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles threw a late-spring wrinkle into their catching picture Saturday, claiming backstop Pedro Severino off waivers from the Nationals. The move gave the club another defense-first option behind the plate left the door open for it to begin Chance Sisco in the Minors.

A day later, the Orioles optioned Sisco to Triple-A Norfolk, despite his strong offensive showing in Grapefruit League play. Sisco has been one of the Orioles’ pleasant surprises, hitting .382 with a 1.298 OPS in 14 games. But questions remain about his defense after Sisco, thrust into a starting role last season after a stellar spring, saw his ability to control the running game crater as a rookie. Sisco caught seven of his first 11 attempted basestealers then finished 4-for-his-last-31. He wasn’t tested much this spring in that department, catching the only runner who attempted to steal off him.

“We have some decisions to make,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “I’ve been really impressed with how much improvement he’s made in the last month. There is still development that can happen.”

Hyde’s comments echoed the stance the organization took last weekend regarding Austin Hays, who will begin the year at Triple-A despite being the Orioles' best hitter this spring. Like Hays, Sisco can be optioned at will. But that’s not true of Severino, who is out of options, or catcher Jesús Sucre, who has an upward mobility clause in his Minor League contract.

The clause technically triggered Friday, but it also features a 24-hour grace period that allows the Orioles to wait until Saturday night to decide whether to promise him a job. Baltimore also has Austin Wynns on the 40-man, but his roster spot seems in jeopardy after he missed chunks of camp due to a sore left oblique.

“Nothing has changed in our eyes about Jesus Sucre,” Hyde said. “We love Jesus Sucre. He can really catch and throw, he’ll provide great leadership on the field and will grind at bat, and he’s had a great camp. Nothing has changed from our end on him.”

Carrying both Sucre and Severino north would give the Orioles two of the strongest-armed catchers in baseball. In this way, they are opposites of Sisco, who dwarfs both in offensive upside but had one of the weakest arms among Major League backstops in 2018. Sisco ranked 62nd in catcher arm strength and 65th in average pop time, per Statcast. Sucre’s 84.5 mph average velocity on competitive throws was good for 10th, while Severino’s 84.3 mph average placed him 12th. Severino threw in a 1.98 average pop time to boot, tied with Sal Perez and three other glove-first types for 16th in that category. He has hit .187 with a .501 OPS across 105 big league games, all with Washington.

To make room for Severino on the 40-man roster, the Orioles designated utilityman Stevie Wilkerson for assignment. Wilkerson, 27, hit .174 in 16 games as a rookie in 2018.

“Big arm, a lot of tools defensively,” Hyde said of Severino. “He’s a talented guy.”

But neither he nor Sucre -- a career backup -- can match the bat of Sisco, though he struggled in that department as well last summer. The 24-year-old took a step backward at both levels, hitting .181/.288/.269 in 63 Major League games and .242/.344/.352 in 38 at Triple-A Norfolk. Despite flipping those numbers this spring, he still might be the odd man out when the Orioles break. Sisco's development remains the Orioles’ primary goal.

“He has had a really good camp, he should be proud of the camp he’s had, proud of the progress he’s made, and I just want him to keep it going,” Hyde said. “Chance needs to play, and you’re not going to develop by sitting. If he’s in the big leagues, he’ll play. If he’s at Triple-A, he’ll play. Where he goes, he’s going to play. And we feel that’s important.”