![\"Orioles](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,w_1200,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/43\/01ke9w1b7drna3q9gx1r.jpg\")
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Give the Baltimore Orioles<\/strong> credit for one thing: after a disappointing 2025 season, they\u2019ve stayed active. Very active. Whether that activity actually makes them better is another question entirely.<\/p>\n At times, Baltimore\u2019s moves have looked legitimate, even aggressive\u2014signing Pete Alonso<\/strong> certainly qualifies. Other times, they\u2019ve been baffling, like surrendering a haul of young assets for Shane Baz<\/strong>. Now, the Orioles have made yet another move that seems to exist for no clear baseball reason whatsoever.<\/p>\n Baltimore has claimed Jhonkensy Noel<\/strong> off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians<\/strong>. And if you\u2019re a Yankees fan, you already know exactly why that name feels unpleasantly familiar.<\/p>\n If nothing else, the Orioles\u2019 addition of Noel feels tailor-made to troll the Yankees.<\/p>\n Noel\u2014nicknamed \u201cBig Christmas\u201d<\/strong>\u2014burst onto the scene with Cleveland in 2024, immediately standing out thanks to his imposing 6-foot-3, 250-pound<\/strong> frame and jaw-dropping raw power. The Dominican slugger mashed 13 home runs<\/strong> in just 179 at-bats<\/strong>, posting an eye-popping .268 ISO<\/strong> that hinted at legitimate middle-of-the-order potential.<\/p>\n Of course, that power came with a catch\u2014or several dozen of them.<\/p>\n Noel struck out 31.8%<\/strong> of the time during his rookie season, dragging his overall slash line down to .218\/.288\/.486<\/strong>. His swing featured plenty of holes, but when he connected, the results were unmistakable.<\/p>\n And Yankees fans remember exactly when he connected most.<\/p>\n Jhonkensy Noel etched his name into Yankees infamy during the 2024 ALCS<\/strong>, delivering a pair of moments that still trigger involuntary eye twitches in New York.<\/p>\n In that series, Noel slashed .250\/.333\/.625<\/strong>, but the stat line barely captures the damage. His most infamous moment came in Game 3<\/strong>, when he launched a massive, game-tying two-run homer off Luke Weaver<\/strong> with two outs in the ninth inning\u2014a swing that flipped the entire series\u2019 momentum.<\/p>\n Then came Game 4<\/strong>, when bizarre camera angles and an all-time premature call from Guardians radio announcer Tom Hamilton<\/strong> made it seem like Noel had done it again, only for the ball to land harmlessly in Alex Verdugo\u2019s glove<\/strong>. Even when he didn\u2019t hurt the Yankees, he still managed to traumatize them.<\/p>\n Fast forward to 2025, and one would reasonably expect growth\u2014if not stardom\u2014from a young power bat entering his second season.<\/p>\n That did not happen.<\/p>\n Instead of building on his rookie promise, Noel regressed badly in 2025.<\/p>\n Pitchers adjusted. Noel didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n His strikeout rate ballooned to an ugly 34%<\/strong>, while his plate discipline completely collapsed\u2014he walked just four times in 153 plate appearances<\/strong>. The result was a disastrous .162\/.183\/.297<\/strong> slash line, with only six home runs<\/strong> to show for the entire season.<\/p>\n The issues weren\u2019t limited to the batter\u2019s box, either. Noel\u2019s defense at both first base and the outfield<\/strong> graded poorly, and by season\u2019s end, he had accumulated -1.1 fWAR<\/strong>, actively hurting Cleveland whenever he was on the field.<\/p>\n With no minor league options remaining<\/strong>, the Guardians finally pulled the plug.<\/p>\n Enter Baltimore.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the million-dollar\u2014or rather, minimum-salary\u2014question.<\/p>\n The Orioles already have a crowded mix of first base and corner outfield options, including Tyler O\u2019Neill, Ryan Mountcastle, and Coby Mayo<\/strong>. While none of those players had particularly inspiring 2025 seasons, not one of them cratered to the depths Noel reached.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s the plan?<\/p>\n There are really only two plausible explanations:<\/p>\n Roster churn for the sake of roster churn<\/strong>, possibly with another move coming to clear space.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Pure, unfiltered psychological warfare against the Yankees.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n If it\u2019s the latter, then credit where it\u2019s due. Mission accomplished.<\/p>\n On paper, Noel doesn\u2019t address a need. He doesn\u2019t improve roster balance. He doesn\u2019t bring defensive value or on-base skills. What he does bring is bad memories<\/strong>\u2014specifically for one division rival that Baltimore is clearly intent on annoying.<\/p>\n The Orioles may be trying to convince themselves that a change of scenery can unlock Noel\u2019s raw power again. That\u2019s possible. Baseball is weird. But if that\u2019s the real plan, it\u2019s an optimistic one bordering on reckless.<\/p>\n Much more likely, this is a low-risk move designed to poke the Yankees<\/strong>, reopen old wounds, and remind New York fans that yes, that guy<\/em> still exists\u2014and now he\u2019s in the AL East.<\/p>\n If that was the goal?<\/p>\n Congratulations, Baltimore. You nailed it.<\/p>\n Whether it helps you win baseball games is another matter entirely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Orioles Claim Jhonkensy Noel, Apparently Just to Reopen Yankees\u2019 2024 ALCS Wounds Give the Baltimore Orioles credit for one thing: after a disappointing 2025 season, they\u2019ve stayed… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":136378,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cBig Christmas\u201d Still Haunts the Bronx<\/h3>\n
The 2024 ALCS: A Bronx Nightmare<\/h3>\n
A 2025 Season to Forget<\/h3>\n
![\"Yankees'](\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/aaron-judge.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhy Did the Orioles Do This?<\/h3>\n
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A Move That Feels More Symbolic Than Strategic<\/h3>\n
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