SARASOTA, Fla. — The Orioles have made their first cash trade of spring training. It probably won’t be their last.

The Orioles on Saturday evening sent cash to the Minnesota Twins to acquire reliever Jackson Kowar. To make space for him on the roster, the Orioles placed reliever Colin Selby on the 60-day injured list with shoulder inflammation.

Kowar, 29, has a career 8.21 ERA across 91 innings in the major leagues, most recently with the Seattle Mariners in 2025. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound right-hander was designated for assignment by the Twins earlier this week, and the Orioles chose to send Minnesota cash rather than wait to see if they could claim Kowar off waivers.

Kowar, a first-round pick of the Royals in 2018, made his MLB debut with Kansas City in 2021 and struggled mightily over the next three seasons, allowing 79 runs in 74 big league innings. He missed the 2024 campaign recovering from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery and returned in the middle of 2025, posting servicable numbers with the Mariners — a 4.24 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.

In joining Baltimore, Kowar could have the chance to earn a spot in the Orioles’ bullpen, which could have three spots open for what is expected to be a heated competition this spring.

It’s also possible, though, that the Orioles continue their roster churn this spring, potentially resulting in Kowar being designated for assignment and the team hoping he passes through waivers. The Orioles’ front office is often on the lookout for cash trades during spring training. The biggest success also came in a deal with the Twins when Baltimore acquired Danny Coulombe in a cash deal at the end of spring training in 2023, only for the left-hander to become one of the club’s best relievers over the next two years.

Selby, 28, was one of the many intriguing bullpen arms to watch this spring, but he’ll begin his year on the shelf. The right-hander said he began feeling discomfort in his shoulder at the end of last season. After it didn’t go away in the offseason, Selby shut down his throwing progression and began rehabilitating in Sarasota.

Selby estimated Wednesday that he was only a couple of weeks behind schedule and that he hoped to begin throwing off the mound in early March. It’s unclear whether that timeline remains the same or if Selby’s injury worsened in the past few days.

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