O's sign Starter Cesar Valdez (34) to a minor league contract

[wildcard]

This one slipped by me until Roch mentioned it today in his blog.   He was signed on Jan 10th.

This looks like a Wojo signing to me.    Long time minor league starter,  who has had a cup of coffee in the majors. From the Dominican.

Between AAA and the winter league his stats this past season are:

19-3,    2.01 ERA,  29 S,   188.1 IP,  171 H,   162 SO,  1.019 WHIP

He played with Houston at AAA in 2016 going 12-1, 3.12 ERA in the PCL.   So Elias knows  him well.

Valdez doesn't look like someone that is ticketed for the AAA rotation that already has 6 starters in it.   If he shows something in ST he could be in the O's rotation or long relief.  If he doesn't show enough in ST he is probably gone.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=valdez001ces

[DrungoHazewood]

His bb-ref page has a kind of Willis Otanez flavor to it.  Been around for 15 years, plays winter ball, so he's on 2, 3, 4 teams every year.  Since about 2012 he's been an extreme finesse pitcher with so-so strikeout rates but about 1.5 walks per nine.

He was clearly the best pitcher on a 66-52 Yucatan team in the Mexican League last year that was managed by Geronimo Gil.  He had a 2.26 ERA in a league that allowed over 6.0 runs/game. Although that league is probably AA quality overall.

I have no opinion as to whether he's a depth signing, Elias and team like something about him, or he's just a flier on a freely available guy who had a good year.

[Frobby]

Could be a fun guy to follow in spring training.    

[PaulFolk]

Kind of fascinating that he made his MLB debut in 2010 and then didn't see the majors again until 2017. How many players have had a seven-year gap between their first year in the majors and their second?

[MurphDogg]

If he does end up pitching for the Orioles this year, there will once again be a player older than me on the team, Valdez was born March 17, 1985. 

I just realized that there wasn't a single player last season born before 1986, Trumbo was the oldest, born January 16, 1986.

Craig Gentry was the oldest player on the 2018 team, born November 29, 1983.

I didn't realize that at 34 I was reaching this milestone already!

[Aristotelian]

Nice. Pretty compelling AAA stats. Surprised he hasn't gotten more of a chance somewhere. Nice job by Elias.

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Could be a fun guy to follow in spring training.    

At worse, this is an interesting story to follow this spring. He's pitched very well in a hitter friendly league so why not? He'll be 35-years old on opening day so I imagine he either makes the team or is let go. 

Hey, I'll be rooting for the guy!

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

His bb-ref page has a kind of Willis Otanez flavor to it.  Been around for 15 years, plays winter ball, so he's on 2, 3, 4 teams every year.  Since about 2012 he's been an extreme finesse pitcher with so-so strikeout rates but about 1.5 walks per nine.

He was clearly the best pitcher on a 66-52 Yucatan team in the Mexican League last year that was managed by Geronimo Gil.  He had a 2.26 ERA in a league that allowed over 6.0 runs/game. Although that league is probably AA quality overall.

I have no opinion as to whether he's a depth signing, Elias and team like something about him, or he's just a flier on a freely available guy who had a good year.

I always thought the person who can get Willis Otanez to write a book about his baseball life would have a best seller. Can you only imagine the stories this guy has with as many places that he's played? He may have one of the most fascinating baseball careers of all time.

[ScGO's]

With is foreign playing days, he could be a guy kept on to coach or scout too.

[OsEatAlEast]

While he doesn't have the greatest lifetime k rate. His career k to bb ratio stands at almost 4 to 1.

[Moose Milligan]

I think it's pretty great when a low level signing slips past wildcard.  Kinda made my morning.

[wildcard]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

I think it's pretty great when a low level signing slips past wildcard.  Kinda made my morning.

Ah, but it may not be a low level signing.  This guy could compete for a rotation spot in ST.  After all when he is competing with Hess, Kohl Stewart and Rucker anything can happen.

[Moose Milligan]

3 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Ah, but it may not be a low level signing.  This guy could compete for a rotation spot in ST.  After all when he is competing with Hess, Kohl Stewart and Rucker anything can happen.

....so it's a low level signing.  

[wildcard]

7 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

....so it's a low level signing.  

If he pitches well it will become a high level signing.

Miguel Gonzalez was signed out of the Mexican League in 2012 by Dan Duquette.   After he went 9-4 with a 3.25 ERA and became a fixture in the O's rotation for 3 years he was not a low level signing any more.

[Moose Milligan]

3 minutes ago, wildcard said:

If he pitches well it will become a high level signing.

I suppose.  I mean, I wouldn't get my hopes up but it could be cool.

With Elias, Sig, etc, for once I feel like a signing like this could actually have some upside.