Orlando Hernandez hasn't pitched in the majors for three years, but he intends to play in 2011, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). The Cuban right-hander has tried to reach the majors in each of the past two seasons without making it higher than Triple-A. But even at 45 years old, the former playoff hero believes he has the stuff to pitch in the major leagues.
Hernandez's minor league numbers suggest he may have what it takes to pitch at the highest level. He has stuck out more than a batter per inning at each one of the four minor league stops he has made over the course of the past two seasons. His ERA has never been above 2.45 in that time, but he has logged just 26.2 innings, so the sample size is small.
The Rangers, who signed Hernandez last year, and the Nationals, who signed him this year, did not call him up despite his numbers. If anyone can match Jamie Moyer's late-career success, it could be El Duque, who has never relied on an overpowering fastball and has always had a deceptive delivery.
Some non-contender, low-budget NL team will take a shot on him and hope they can flip him at the deadline for an asset. I could see the D-backs giving him a shot at the rotation.
Err, yeah, reliever… 😛
I doubt it, he’s like 60 years old by now. He doesn’t see content with pitching in the minors, and no team will put him on their big league roster unless he dominates the minors for a month or two. He’s gonna have to play independent league or move to Japan. A shame because I really like the guy, maybe the coolest pitching delivery ever.
I enjoy watching him pitch. I hope he can come back and be effective for a ML team.
I think the Reds should bring him in as a reliever, then use him after Aroldis Chapman every time Chapman comes in. The drop-off from 105 mph fastball to 85 mph fastball would be so huge that all the hitters would be swinging before he even started the windup.
Hm. Considering how many teams have random mop-up men but organizational filler types, why not give Duque a shot? Darren Oliver found new life as a reliever. Maybe he works out to be a pretty solid reliever?
He is starting for the Yankees tonight. Count on it. Sorry AJ.
Don’t I Wish…!!
Enough already! The guy is washed up, finished as a major league pitcher. He had a solid career but there comes a time when you have to say it’s over. There’s a good reason why he hasn’t pitched in the big leagues for three years and thankfully, MLB GM’s aren’t going to waste time indulging his fantasies about playing again.
Why should he just give up on something he obviously loves doing? At least the guy still has the desire. I agree he could be possibly be an effective reliever, like Jose Contreras and Darren Oliver.
At some point every ballplayer comes to grips with the fact that he can’t play at the MLB level any more. Some guys come to that decision themselves, others have to be told by the clubs that their careers are over and its time to move on. Most MLB players love playing ball; few want to quit but there comes a time for every guy when he’s finished. If El Duque wants to continue to hang out in AAA ball because he “loves what he’s doing” fine, but don’t continue to blather about playing in the big leagues again when you’re 45 years old and haven’t played in the bigs for three seasons. The phrase “he could be possibly be an effective reliever” would describe just about every pitcher in the minor leagues – with the operative words being “could” and “possibly”.
At some point every ballplayer comes to grips with the fact that he can’t play at the MLB level any more. Some guys come to that decision themselves, others have to be told by the clubs that their careers are over and its time to move on. Most MLB players love playing ball; few want to quit but there comes a time for every guy when he’s finished. If El Duque wants to continue to hang out in AAA ball because he “loves what he’s doing” fine, but don’t continue to blather about playing in the big leagues again when you’re 45 years old and haven’t played in the bigs for three seasons. The phrase “he could be possibly be an effective reliever” would describe just about every pitcher in the minor leagues – with the operative words being “could” and “possibly”.
I will never forgive Hernandez for bailing on this season from the Harrisburg Senators with ONE week left in the season as they were battling for the last playoff spot.
He’s the only guy that has a fast ball that is slower than Moyer’s