Colorado Rockies Reunite With Sam Hilliard, Claim Outfielder Off Waivers From Baltimore Orioles
The Colorado Rockies have claimed outfielder Sam Hilliard off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
In a corresponding move, Colorado placed right-handed pitcher Antonio Senzatela on the 60-day injured list as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. The Orioles, on the other hand, are not making any additional moves.
Baltimore initially claimed Hilliard off waivers from the Atlanta Braves in November. A few weeks later, the two sides avoided arbitration by agreeing to an $800K salary for 2024.
Now, a week after his 30th birthday, Hilliard is headed back to where it all started.
The Rockies drafted Hilliard back in 2015, and they retained him for over seven years.
Hilliard made his MLB debut in 2019 and began to carve out a more consistent role as Colorado's fourth outfielder in the ensuing seasons. He appeared in 214 games for the Rockies in a four-year span, batting .212 with 29 home runs, 71 RBI, 15 stolen bases, a .717 OPS and a 1.8 WAR.
Colorado traded Hilliard to Atlanta in November 2022, and he appeared in 40 games for the Braves in 2023. In that limited time, Hilliard hit .236 with three home runs, six RBI, four stolen bases, a .725 OPS and a 0.2 WAR.
Hilliard appeared in two Grapefruit League games for the Orioles at Spring Training this past weekend, going 0-for-3 with two walks and two strikeouts. He will now make the flight out to Arizona, where he will join the Rockies for Cactus League action and compete for an Opening Day roster spot.
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