RADIO
After being with Texas his entire five-year career, free agent pitcher Alexi Ogando is moving on elsewhere, inking a one-year $1.5 million deal with the Boston Red Sox that could end up being worth as much as $3 million with incentives.
Ogando flashed a ton of potential during his stint with the Rangers, who non-tendered him back in December mostly because of injury issues over the years, especially in 2014 when he was limited to just 27 games. He also got hurt in the 2013 season, in which he pitched in only 23 games (18 starts) for the club.
The former All-Star has been used extensively as both a starter and reliever, and found considerable success in both roles. In fact, over 48 career starts, Ogando is 19-12 with a 3.40 ERA. In 135 games out of the bullpen, Ogando is 9-4 with a 3.25 ERA, and was last used primarily as a reliever a year ago. His lone All-Star berth came when he first began starting in 2011.
It is not yet known how the Red Sox will utilize the versatile right-hander, but given his injury history, they might first try him out of the bullpen. Ultimately, however, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ogando end up making some starts, as Boston’s current starting rotation features some question marks and injury concerns. In either case, this might be one of baseball’s best low-risk, high-reward signings, given that Ogando is still only 31-years-old and can still be effective, if he can just stay healthy over a full season.
