The New York Mets claimed right-hander Cameron Weston off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday and immediately optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse, according to the MLB.com transaction log.
Baltimore had designated the 26-year-old for assignment two days earlier. To open a 40-man roster spot, the Mets designated catcher Shawn Ross for assignment. Ross had been claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates only a month earlier and never appeared in a game for New York.
Weston, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound pitcher from Pittsburgh, was Baltimore’s eighth-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Michigan.
The Orioles added him to the 40-man roster in May and gave him his first big-league look on May 28 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He threw a scoreless ninth inning, striking out Andrés Giménez for his first major-league punchout. That remains his only MLB appearance.
He was optioned the next day and later recalled briefly in July without pitching again.
His 2026 minor-league numbers explain why Baltimore moved on. In 31 games (seven starts) for Triple-A Norfolk, Weston went 1-4 with a 7.89 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 66 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings. Walks were an issue: 5.44 per nine innings against a career-best 11.57 strikeouts per nine.
Career minor-league totals are more respectable (18-24, 4.37 ERA, 387 strikeouts in 350 innings), but the jump to Triple-A hitters exposed command problems.
What likely appealed to the Mets is the pitch mix. Weston does not throw overpowering velocity, but he has used a sinker, slider and forkball this season. Earlier scouting reports also listed a cutter and changeup.
He remains optionable for two seasons after 2026, giving New York cheap, controllable pitching depth at Syracuse without blocking anyone.
The move is typical late-season roster work. The Mets (63-77) sit fifth in the NL East and are looking for organizational arms rather than immediate help.
Weston will try to tighten his command in Syracuse for the rest of the year. Ross, who hit one home run in a brief stint with Pittsburgh, now waits to see if another club claims him.
For Weston, a change of organization offers a fresh chance to turn a promising pitch mix into consistent results.
