Right-hander Alexi Ogando has opted out of his minor league contract with the Diamondbacks, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (via Twitter). The 32-year-old is once again a free agent.
Ogando began the year in the Braves’ bullpen and posted a respectable 3.94 ERA in 32 innings with Atlanta, but walks were an issue for him all season long and he coughed up nine runs (seven earned) on seven hits and nine walks in his final seven innings with the Braves before being designated for assignment. On the year, Ogando averaged 8.2 K/9 but 6.5 BB/9 as well, and his results didn’t improve in Triple-A Reno with the D-backs organization. In 5 1/3 innings with Reno, Ogando served up eight earned runs on 10 hits and seven walks with just a pair of strikeouts to his credit.
While the 2016 campaign has been one to forget for Ogando, it’s notable that he does come with a lengthy track record of success in the Majors. The longtime Ranger entered the 2016 season with a lifetime 3.44 ERA in 471 1/3 innings at the Major League level and has pitched well both as a starter and as a setup man in the past. He’ll look to latch on with another organization and end the year on a high note.
Padres could use him.
Agreed. I’ll take him over Villanueva.
For sure. He fits into our style of signings. A reclamation projects of sorts at a low/reasonable cost..
AJ Preller is familiar with him from Texas as well so I could definitely see it as a possibility. Better than Villanueva & Campos.
What is his fastball like
According from the sites I just looked on, it’s a fourseam and it sits at about 95.
Fast.
Halos, you watching this?
Orioles will be all over that. Duquette loves reclamation projects because they don’t cost any prospects from our non-existent farm system.
Halos??? They are only watching DFA players and over-the-hill players with lopsided huge contracts …
He still throws quite hard, but the injury history is a concern and his control has always been bad. I always wonder what his career would have looked like if he hadn’t been moved from the bullpen to rotation so much with Texas. He’s 32 now, so probably not much of a career left unless he can reinvent himself somehow.
Rangers.
I read years ago Toronto was interested in acquiring him. They might give him a shot…
This guy is a perfect fit in Pittsburgh where we like cheap reclamation pieces.
he used to be really special, both as a starter and relief pitcher.