If you think Osvaldo Bido’s winter was dizzying, you’re mistaken. This right-point shooter changed teams so often that even MLB.com got tired of following him. His profile page still has the same old hat, as if waiting to see if he’ll stay somewhere long enough to warrant an update.
Since the beginning of December, Bido’s journey has resembled a nationwide waiver tour.
The Athletics started things with a familiar decision: the DFA. The Atlanta Braves were the first to pick him up on December 5th. Ten days later, the Braves let him go. The Tampa Bay Rays followed suit — and kept Bido for almost a month, until another trade (Ken Waldichuk) made him the one to be sacrificed.
On January 16th, the Miami Marlins entered the picture. Four days later, they traded him for Bradley Blalock — and Bido was pushed to the sidelines again. The Los Angeles Angels tried their luck on January 27th. Two days later, Jayvien Sandridge arrived, and Bido was back… in the same old place: the waiver wire.
Five teams. Less than two months. And the cycle continues.
So what’s really going on?
Bido isn’t a useless pitcher. Nor is he a promising young talent needing nurturing. At his age, he’s already a finished product—but not sharp enough to secure a 40-man roster spot. That’s why he’s become what the industry calls the “41st player.”
Every team wants him in their organization. But no team wants to make room for him.
Bido has just enough stuff to pique curiosity. Just enough to be a backup option. Just enough to offer hope that “maybe this time the command will be better.” But when another name comes along—younger, cheaper, or with more options—Bido is always the first to be dropped.
The only way this cycle can stop is when he… is no longer claimed by anyone.
It sounds paradoxical, but that’s the way out. When a team finally lets Bido pass through the waivers, they can outright relegate him to the minors, keeping him in depth without sacrificing his 40-man spot. That’s the “stable” state he’s in his current situation.
Looking at the list of teams that have claimed Bido this winter speaks volumes. The Athletics, Braves, Rays, Marlins, Angels — all under .500 last season, all in the top 12 worst-performing teams in MLB. The worst group (Rockies, White Sox, Nationals, Twins, Pirates) haven’t touched him yet. The teams just above them are constantly trying.
That means: Bido hasn’t yet climbed the waiver order.
By mechanism, waivers go against the previous season’s performance ranking. Bido is currently stuck in the No. 6–No. 12 zone—a zone where teams are half-rebuilding, always needing depth but lacking the patience to hold on for long. Half the league still has a chance to reach him.
Diamondbacks. Rangers. Giants. These teams could certainly be interested—especially since their fields are far more pitcher-friendly than Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. But to get there, Bido has to continue…being overlooked.
And then, one day, the waiver will be quiet.
When that happens, Osvaldo Bido will finally have a place to focus his pitching, instead of packing his bags every week. The question isn’t whether he’ll have a chance. It’s: is this crazy winter signaling an end—or just the beginning of an even harsher chapter?
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