The Orioles assigned catcher Austin Wynns to Triple-A Norfolk on Friday after he cleared waivers. Wynns, who will be 31 on December 10^th, can elect free agency since he also was placed on outright waivers last year, which gives the other 29 teams a chance to claim him.

In 45 games with the Orioles in 2021, Wynns hit .185 with four home runs and 14 RBIs and a .540 OPS. In 115 games with the team in three seasons, Wynns has hit .216 with nine home runs and 30 RBIs.

Adley Rutschman, the overall top pick in the 2019 draft, is expected to be the Orioles’ catcher next year, and it’s likely the team will sign at least one and perhaps two catchers to back him up or serve as the starting catcher at Triple-A Norfolk.

Wynns had a -.6 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) but had a .1 defensive WAR.

Wynns threw out 38 percent of runners attempting to steal in 2021 (11 of 29), his highest rate in the majors. He did not allow a passed ball.

Wynns, a 10^th-round selection in the 2013 draft, has thrown out 32 percent of base-stealers in his Orioles career.

There are two catchers on the Orioles’ 40-man roster, which has 38 players after Wynns’ subtraction. Pedro Severino is not expected to be retained by the team since he could receive more than $3 million in arbitration. Nick Ciuffo, whose contract was purchased late in the season from Norfolk, played in two games and was 1-for-5 (.200).

MASNsports.com first reported the news on Wynns, which was confirmed by an industry source.