Baltimore Orioles claim veteran power bat off waivers

Young slugger Jhonkensy Noel has found a new home with the Baltimore Orioles.

The club announced Monday afternoon that they claimed Noel off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians, who designated him for assignment on December 17th. In a corresponding move, the Orioles DFA'd right-hander George Soriano.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/zDxCl6JH4J
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) January 5, 2026

Orioles claim Jhonkensy Noel following DFA

Noel, 24, was cut loose after a difficult 2025 campaign where he batted just .162 in 69 major league games. After emerging as a promising power hitter in 2024, Noel struggled to carve out a role with the Guardians due to his high strikeout rate and spent much of last season in Triple-A. Noel's OPS dropped dramatically from a .774 mark in 2024 to .480 in 2025, and both his home run and RBI tallies were cut in half.

It will be the first time that Noel changes teams, as he joined Cleveland's organization as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2017. His time with the Guardians overlaps with Baltimore's new manager Craig Albernaz, who served as the club's bench coach and later associate manager from 2023 to 2025. Noel has strong minor league numbers, tallying 124 home runs on a .259/.335/.490 slash line across 578 games. But he has yet to replicate this since making his big-league debut in June 2024, where he notched a home run in his first at-bat against the Orioles.

Big Christmas lands where he hit his first career home run in his first career at-bat 🎄 https://t.co/G2mrkIcjaQ pic.twitter.com/17WX7KOQr6
— MLB (@MLB) January 5, 2026

Despite his struggles, "Big Christmas" carries elite power with a top 2% max exit velocity and one of the highest bat speeds of any hitter. While the strikeout numbers are concerning, Noel is still a young player and brings 20-plus home run upside if he can grow into a reliable option in a lineup. During the 2024 regular season, he belted 13 homers and drove in 28 runs in just 67 games, finishing the year with a .218/.288/.486 slash line.

Noel earned his reputation as a fan-favorite in Cleveland during their 2024 playoff run, where he delivered a game-tying two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Yankees. The signature moment kept the Guardians alive until extra innings, when David Fry walked it off with his own home run.

Big Christmas has officially completed his SpongeBob arc.

Thanks for this moment, dawg.
pic.twitter.com/eDhIePUb6M
— Always the Jake (@JacobsFieldRBW) December 17, 2025

For the Orioles, Noel provides some depth in an outfield that currently features newly acquired corner outfielder Taylor Ward, veteran Tyler O'Neill, and fellow young options Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, and Jeremiah Jackson. Noel has a strong arm but is known more for his bat than his fielding ability. While he does offer some versatility in his ability to play first base, it's more likely that he would find time in right field or as a DH/pinch hitter with Pete Alonso expected to play every day at first.

Soriano, 26, was claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins on November 5th. The right-handed reliever appeared in 24 games for Miami in 2025, pitching to an 8.35 ERA across 35.2 innings, and looked to be a potential depth option for a Baltimore bullpen in need of help.

Noel, who is out of minor league options, may struggle to find a role with Baltimore in 2026. But if the right-handed slugger can recapture some of the magic from his 2024 season, he could be a fun addition to the Orioles' growing young core.

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Orioles claim Jhonkensy Noel following DFA

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