SAN DIEGO — The Orioles announced Monday that three players have been removed from their 40-man roster, leaving them at 37 during the first official day of the winter meetings.
Left-hander Scott Barnes, who was acquired by the Orioles last month from the Cleveland Indians for cash, was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers, while infielder Steve Lombardozzi (Atholton) and left-hander Pat McCoy cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.
Barnes and McCoy had both been added to the Orioles' 40-man roster this offseason to improve depth in the bullpen.
Barnes, 27, was acquired two weeks ago after he was designated for assignment by Cleveland. He didn't pitch in the major leagues in 2014, going 3-2 with a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings with Triple-A Columbus.
Barnes held right-handed hitters to a .194 average and lefties to a .191 clip. He pitched 27 2/3 total innings for the Indians in 2012 and 2013, with a 5.20 ERA.
Lombardozzi, 26, played in 20 games for the Orioles and 78 at Norfolk this past season. The club acquired him from the Detroit Tigers in March for veteran infielder Alex Gonzalez.
Lombardozzi batted .270 with 30 RBIs and only 10 extra-base hits for the Tides in 2014. He hit .288 with two RBIs in 73 at-bats in the major leagues.
McCoy, 26, was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Oct. 31. He split the 2014 season between the major leagues, Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie.
In 14 games for the Tigers, he had a 3.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts and 13 walks in 14 innings. McCoy was 1-0 with a 3.95 ERA in nine appearances for Erie, and he was 2-0 with a 2.59 ERA in 21 games for Toledo.
The Orioles needed to clear at least one spot on their 40-man roster during the winter meetings because they plan to make a selection in Thursday's Rule 5 draft.
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