The Giants announced that they invited right-hander Ramon Ortiz to Spring Training, presumably on a minor league deal (Twitter link). Praver/Shapiro represents the 38-year-old, who split the 2011 season between the Cubs and their Triple-A affiliate.
Ortiz appeared in 22 games for the Cubs last year, posting a 4.86 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 33 1/3 innings. The 11-year MLB veteran also made 16 starts at Triple-A, completing 99 1/3 innings with the Iowa Cubs. The Cubs were the only other team that was publicly linked to Ortiz this offseason.
Seth
The next Tim Lincecum
RepOak
Haha good one
ellisburks
He stinks.
pitnick
Just filling out the Fresno rotation. If he’s pitching in the majors, a lot of things have gone wrong. Note of hope: his SO/BB ratio last year in 16 AAA starts was 4.05, the highest it has been since he pitched A ball in 1997.
Brian 31
Maybe he’ll go all Volgelsongy and take Zito’s job by May
gmenfan 2
Nothing to see here, folks. Move along …
icedrake523
How is this guy still around?
sheilendr
from a Cub fan – enjoy. And thank you. Really.
BlueSkyLA
The Dodgers chucked this boat anchor overboard two years ago. With no chain attached. Enjoy!
FrnchDp
Still upset about Juan Uribe, aren’t ya.. ; )
disadvantage 2
Which came right in the wake of his Jason Schmidt hangover…
BlueSkyLA
Hardly. The Giants made him almost the exact same offer as the Dodgers. It was a coin flip where he’d end up.
FrnchDp
Sorry friend.. we weren’t willing to sign him to a 3 yr deal. If it was a coin flip, why leave the defending champions to head to a team with FO turmoil? Dodgers offered him more money for longer.
Fact is, he didn’t pan out for you guys last year. I’m guessing he has a better season in ’12.
And while he was much beloved at AT&T, it had some to do with his uncle Jose’s memories.
Still.. I didn’t mean to make a big ol’ deal out of this. Ortiz is a ST invite and nothing more – he either makes the team, or is probably released to try elsewhere. No big loss.
FrnchDp
Sorry friend.. we weren’t willing to sign him to a 3 yr deal. If it was a coin flip, why leave the defending champions to head to a team with FO turmoil? Dodgers offered him more money for longer.
Fact is, he didn’t pan out for you guys last year. I’m guessing he has a better season in ’12.
And while he was much beloved at AT&T, it had some to do with his uncle Jose’s memories.
Still.. I didn’t mean to make a big ol’ deal out of this. Ortiz is a ST invite and nothing more – he either makes the team, or is probably released to try elsewhere. No big loss.
Les Johnson
Funny thing is that he probably wouldn’t be much worse than Zito, for about 3% of the money :/
jaryl612
True dat. Time to admit defeat and trade Zito for a couple C level prospects.
mib
i don’t get it.
Gumby65
Good luck with that. Russ Ortiz can’t be too far behind.
FrnchDp
Ortiz is younger too! But 2 yrs retired, so that’s even less likely.
sfgiantsforeternity
Has spent time in the org before. Spent all of 2009 with Fresno (Giants AAA). Obviously seen more as a filler arm for the Grizzlies and maybe like a super emergency starter. Gotta think they would go to Surkamp/Burres before Ortiz though.
Cam Hodgson-Dwyer
Yeah, AAA filler for sure. If he ever suits up for the Giants, then something must have gone seriously wrong.