Danny Duffy Signs With Mexican League’s Piratas de Campeche
Former big league left-hander Danny Duffy is signing with the Piratas de Campeche of the Mexican League, according to a report from Robert Murray of Fansided.
Duffy, 36, is a veteran of 11 major league seasons who last pitched in the big leagues back in 2021. The lefty was a third-round pick by the Royals back in 2007 and never pitched at the big league level with another club. Duffy’s first season in the majors back in 2011 saw him make 20 starts, though his 5.64 ERA left much to be desired. Despite that middling rookie season, Duffy earned a spot in the club’s starting rotation the following year. He ultimately made just 11 appearances between 2012 and 2013 due to Tommy John surgery, however, though he did post an impressive 2.94 ERA across those outings.
When Duffy had his first healthy season since his rookie year in 2014, he was extremely successful with a 2.53 ERA in 149 1/3 innings of work split between 25 starts and six long relief outings. Duffy’s success came in spite of a lackluster 18.6% strikeout rate, however, and his lackluster peripherals caught up to him during a far more pedestrian 2015 season. Once again pitching primarily out of the rotation with occasional cameos in the bullpen, Duffy’s results took a big step back that year as he pitched to a 4.02 ERA (102 ERA+) in 136 2/3 innings during the regular season. The 2014 and ’15 seasons also saw Duffy make the only postseason appearances of his career as Kansas City went to the World Series in back to back campaigns and won it all in 2015. Duffy’s contributions to those runs were relatively minimal as he pitched to a 5.06 in 10 2/3 innings, though that did include outings in the club’s Game 1 and Game 4 victories against the Mets in 2015.
Following the Royals’ championship, Duffy pitched quite well in 2016 with a 3.51 ERA in 179 2/3 frames with a solid 25.7% strikeout rate. That showing was enough to earn Duffy a five-year extension with the club worth $65MM. The next several years saw Duffy provide generally solid middle-to-back of the rotation production for the Royals, with a roughly league average 4.42 ERA (102 ERA+) in 87 appearances (86 starts) from 2017 to 2020. When the final year of Duffy’s deal in Kansas City came around, he enjoyed a phenomenal start to the season as he posted a 2.51 ERA with a 25.8% strikeout rate in 61 innings of work, but he found himself slowed by a flexor strain. Duffy was traded to the Dodgers over the summer, but did not throw a pitch for L.A. that year.
Since being traded away from the Royals, Duffy pitched in the minor leagues for the Dodgers and Rangers but did not crack either club’s big league roster. Last season, he posted a 5.50 ERA in ten outings for Texas at the Triple-A level before being granted his release in May of last year. He then pitched to a 3.24 ERA in the Puerto Rican Winter League, which evidently caught the attention of the Piratas de Campeche. Duffy will now get the opportunity to continue his professional career in Mexico on a team that also features former big league names like Hanser Alberto and Chris Carter.
Carl Edwards Jr., Matt Foster Sign With Mexican League Teams
A pair of former big league relievers are among those who recently signed with Mexican League teams. Carl Edwards Jr. rejoined the Tigers de Quintana Roo on Tuesday, while Matt Foster signed with the Algodoneros del Unión Laguna last week.
This is the second time this year that Edwards has signed with Quintana Roo. He initially joined the team in mid-March. He left to sign a minor league deal with the Angels before the season began. Edwards made seven Triple-A appearances and was called up by the Halos last month. He pitched twice in the big leagues, allowing three runs in as many innings. The Angels designated him for assignment, and he elected free agency after going unclaimed on waivers.
Edwards evidently preferred to return to Mexico rather than accept an outright assignment with the Halos. He’s making his Mexican League debut tonight. This year’s brief stint with the Angels marked his 11th consecutive season logging major league action. He’s only made three combined appearances over the past two years but was a decent middle reliever for the Nationals between 2022-23.
Foster, 30, is a righty who elected free agency at the start of the offseason after being waived by the White Sox. The Alabama product had pitched in parts of four seasons with Chicago, tallying 119 1/3 innings. He spent most of the 2020-22 seasons in Chicago’s middle relief group. Foster underwent Tommy John surgery early in the ’23 campaign.
That cost him nearly a year and a half of action. He tossed 6 2/3 frames of two-run ball for the Sox late last season after his return. That came with a 91.9 MPH average fastball velocity that was down two ticks from where he’d been sitting before the surgery. MLB teams were clearly skeptical of the diminished stuff. He allowed a run on three hits in an inning of work in his debut with the Algodoneros.
Andrew Vasquez Drawing Interest From MLB Clubs
Left-hander Andrew Vasquez is currently pitching for Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League but Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reports that multiple MLB clubs are interested in him. His deal has a $0 buyout for MLB affiliates.
Vasquez, 31, is out to a great start in Mexico. He has tossed 7 2/3 innings over seven appearances without allowing an earned run. He has only struck out six of the 32 batters he’s faced, an 18.8% pace, but has surrendered just one walk. He has done that while serving as the club’s closer, with three saves already. The Mexican League is generally very hitter-friendly. The league-wide earned run average is 5.73 this year while batters have a combined line of .292/.371/.458.
Of course, that’s a tiny sample size, but Vasquez also has some decent numbers in affiliated ball. He has 63 2/3 major league innings on his track record with a 4.24 ERA. His 21.5% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate are a bit worse than average but not by much, while his 48.1% ground ball rate is strong.
He had a rough season in 2024, being stuck in Triple-A with the Tigers and posting a 5.11 ERA for the Toledo Mud Hens, but he has previously had good minor league numbers. From 2021 to 2023, he logged 87 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 2.89 ERA, 36.4% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate.
Several teams are dealing with injuries to left-handed relievers, with the Mets one prominent example. They recently lost both A.J. Minter and Danny Young to the injured list. Young will undergo Tommy John surgery and Minter might require season-ending lat surgery. The club signed Brooks Raley but he’s recovering from his own Tommy John procedure and has already been placed on the 60-day IL. A.J. Puk of the Diamondbacks and Tim Mayza of the Pirates are also on the 60-day IL for their respective clubs.
Taking it all into consideration, it’s understandable that clubs are sniffing around. Vasquez has a competent résumé and his Mexican career has started well. With the rate of pitching injuries, it seems he may get a chance somewhere.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images.
Willie Calhoun, Carl Edwards Jr. Sign In Mexican League
The Tigers de Quintana Roo in the Mexican League have recently added a pair of former big leaguers. Designated hitter Willie Calhoun signed with the team tonight, according to an MiLB.com article. The team also announced on social media last night they’re bringing in reliever Carl Edwards Jr.
Calhoun and Edwards each appeared in the majors last season. The lefty-hitting Calhoun played in 68 games for the Angels. He hit .245/.315/.380 with five homers through 254 plate appearances. That brings his career batting line to .241/.303/.399 in more than 1300 trips to the dish. That’s underwhelming for a player whose game is built entirely around his bat. Calhoun can occasionally play at first base or in the corner outfield, but he’s close to a full-time DH.
Edwards, a 33-year-old reliever, pitched in one game for the Padres last year. He issued two walks and allowed a hit without recording an out. That qualified for the lanky righty’s 10th consecutive season getting some big league action. Edwards turned in decent results in middle relief with the Cubs and Nationals earlier in his career. He owns a 3.54 ERA across 280 big league innings. Edwards spent most of last season in the minors, where he combined for a 4.11 ERA in 70 innings between the Cubs’ and Padres’ systems.
Nick Senzel Signs With Mexican League’s Tecolotes De Los Dos Laredos
Infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel has signed with the Tecolotes De Los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League, reports Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. Senzel is represented by the Boras Corporation.
Senzel, 30 in June, was once a notable prospect but he wasn’t able to take advantage of his major league opportunities. The Reds selected him with the second overall pick in the 2016 draft and he posted huge numbers in the minors, slashing .314/.390/.513 over the 2016-18 seasons. Baseball America ranked him as Cincinnati’s top prospect and one of the ten best league-wide from 2017 to 2019.
That got him plenty of big league chances, which he never was able to capitalize on. The Reds gave him fairly regular playing time from 2019 through 2023. Injuries limited him to just 23 games in 2020 and 36 in 2021 but he got into at least 104 contests in the other three seasons of that stretch.
By the end of the 2023 campaign, he had 1,366 big league plate appearances but just 33 home runs, a 7.6% walk rate and a .239/.302/.369 slash line. His 76 wRC+ in that span indicates he was 24% worse than league average on the whole. An infielder as a prospect, the Reds had moved him around and given him some outfield time to improve his versatility, but it didn’t matter much with that lackluster offensive performance and he didn’t get strong defensive grades anywhere either.
Going into 2024, the Reds moved on. They declined to tender him a contract for that season, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a $3MM salary, sending Senzel to free agency instead. He signed a $2MM deal with the Nationals with the plan of Senzel taking over as the everyday third baseman in Washington.
Unfortunately, he broke his thumb prior to the game on Opening Day and missed the first couple of weeks. He returned in mid-April and then slashed .209/.303/.359 in 64 games as a Nat. He was designated for assignment in early July. He then signed with the White Sox but hit just .100/.129/.133 in ten games for them. He was designated for assignment and back in free agency before the end of August. He remained unsigned until now.
It seems as though Senzel didn’t get a major league offer from any club, which isn’t surprising based on his numbers. He’ll instead head to Mexico to join the Tecolotes and see if he can turn things around. Based on his past prospect pedigree, teams will surely keep an eye on him to see if his results improve. If that comes to pass, perhaps he could return to affiliated ball down the line.
Mexican League’s Bravos De León Sign Jay Jackson
The Bravos de León of the Mexican League announced last week that they’ve signed veteran reliever Jay Jackson. The Bravos also announced a deal with righty Josimar Cousin, who spent some time on the White Sox’s 40-man roster last year. Francys Romero first reported the Cousin deal.
Jackson, a Nello Gamberdino client, has pitched in parts of six big league seasons. He reached the majors in each of the past four years, including a 20-game stint with the Twins last season. Jackson struggled to a 7.52 earned run average over 26 1/3 frames for Minnesota. He had a solid strikeout and walk profile (25.4% and 7.9%, respectively) but gave up seven home runs in his relatively small sample of work.
The 37-year-old righty is only a year removed from posting much better numbers with Toronto. Jackson provided the Jays 29 2/3 innings of 2.12 ERA ball in 2023. His velocity was down slightly last year. His four-seam fastball sat at 91.9 MPH; he’d averaged a bit above 93 MPH two seasons ago. If he recaptures his previous velocity and/or misses bats in Mexico, he could pitch his way back to affiliated ball on a midseason minor league deal.
Cousin, 27, is a Cuban-born hurler who hasn’t pitched in the majors. The White Sox selected his contract in 2023 but outrighted back off the 40-man roster last April. He combined for a 2.80 ERA in 35 1/3 innings between the top two minor league levels. Cousin qualified for minor league free agency at season’s end.
Dinelson Lamet, Socrates Brito Sign With Mexican League’s Águila De Veracruz
The Águila de Veracruz are signing Dinelson Lamet for the 2025 season, according to a Spanish-language article at MiLB.com. The Águila also announced on social media this week that they’ve added outfielders Sócrates Brito and Nomar Mazara.
Lamet appeared in the majors as recently as last season. He pitched in three games for the eventual World Series champions. Lamet inked a minor league deal with the Dodgers last February. They selected his contract not long after Opening Day. He tossed 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball before being designated for assignment and outrighted. He opted out of his deal with L.A. in June and finished the year on a minor league contract with the Royals.
The fourth-place finisher in NL Cy Young balloting in 2020, Lamet has dropped into a depth role. The 32-year-old righty started 18 of 19 games in Triple-A last season. He allowed nearly five earned runs per nine with a mediocre 19.5% strikeout rate and an alarming 13.5% walk percentage.
Brito, 32, appeared in the majors with the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays between 2015-19. The lefty-hitting outfielder spent the past three seasons in Korea with the Kia Tigers. He’s coming off a .310/.359/.516 showing in a hitter-friendly league. While there was some thought that Brito could return to affiliated ball on a minor league contract, that interest apparently didn’t materialize. Mazara is headed into his second Mexican League season after hitting .307/.390/.496 in 70 games with Monterrey last year.
Harold Ramírez Signs With Mexican League’s Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos
First baseman/outfielder Harold Ramírez has signed with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League, reports Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. There’s a $0 buyout for MLB affiliates.
Ramírez, 30, appeared in the past six major league baseball seasons with a unique profile. He would rarely walk, strikeout or hit home runs. As a player who put the ball in play almost as much as any other, his production was among the most susceptible to variations in batted ball luck.
Over the 2019 to 2021 seasons, he suited up for the Guardians and Marlins, getting 818 plate appearances in that time. His .315 batting average on balls in play was actually a bit above league average, which is usually in the .290-.300 range. But thanks to a walk rate of just 4% and only 18 home runs in that time, his .271/.308/.405 batting line led to a 92 wRC+, indicating he had been 8% below par overall.
His fortune turned with the Rays in the next two seasons. Over the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, he took 869 trips to the plate with Tampa. His 4.7% walk rate was still quite low and he hit another 18 home runs but his BABIP spiked to .354 in that time. That helped him hit .306/.348/.432 for a 122 wRC+.
Regression came in 2024. His BABIP dropped to .320 and he only walked 2% of the time, with just two homers in 246 plate appearances. That included a brief stint with the Nationals after the Rays released him. After the Nats also released him, he finished the year on a minor league deal with Atlanta, hitting .231/.278/.275 in 97 Triple-A plate appearances.
Ramirez has played first base and the outfield in his career but isn’t considered a strong defender, so his offensive drop-off last year really put a dent in his value. By taking a job in Mexico, he’s surely hoping to carve out some regular playing time and show that he can still swing it. If he looks to be in good form, the no-cost buyout could lead some club to pick him up.
Michel Baez Signs With Mexican League’s Sultanes de Monterrey
Right-hander Michel Baez has signed with the Mexican League’s Sultanes de Monterrey, according to a report from Francys Romero. It will be Baez’s second stint with the club, as he pitched for Monterrey during the 2024 season as well.
Baez, 29, signed with the Padres out of Cuba prior to the 2017 season and quickly became a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport. He made his major league debut in 2019 and posted some impressive numbers out of the gate, as he pitched to a 3.03 ERA (139 ERA+) despite a 21.4% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate that led to a 4.36 FIP in 29 2/3 innings of work. Despite those potential red flags in Baez’s peripherals, his move to the bullpen ahead of his big league debut appeared to be a resounding success, and the right-hander figured to be a key part of San Diego’s bullpen mix for years to come.
Unfortunately, that’s not how things turned out. Baez would appear in just five more MLB games after 2019, three of which came during the shortened 2020 season. The right-hander was then sidelined by Tommy John surgery in 2021 and didn’t return to the big leagues until the following year, when he made two brief appearances with the Padres. Baez was designated for assignment prior to Opening Day 2023 and was outrighted to the minors shortly thereafter. He spent the entire 2023 season in the Padres’ minor league system before being released that December.
While injuries such as his aforementioned Tommy John surgery surely played a role in Baez’s struggles, it’s worth noting that the right-hander did not have much success even in the upper levels of the minors during his final seasons in affiliated ball. The righty pitched to an 8.44 ERA in 24 appearances at Triple-A back in 2022, and the 2023 campaign saw him post a 7.90 ERA at Triple-A and identical 6.75 figures at both the Double-A and High-A levels. Those brutal results were paired with lackluster peripherals, as in 2023 Baez walked 13.4% of his opponents while striking out just 17.4% throughout all levels of the minors.
Baez’s struggles in affiliated ball led him to participate in the Mexican League last year, but his first stint with Monterrey did not go especially well. The right-hander made just seven appearances with six innings of work in total, but he was shelled to the tune of a 7.50 ERA with four walks and a hit batter against five strikeouts. The club, which featured former big leaguers such as Nomar Mazara and Christian Villanueva in 2024, is surely hoping for better results from Baez this season. The right-hander is still in his 20s and has some previous big league success under his belt, so it’s certainly not impossible to imagine him fashioning himself into a useful pitcher for the Sultanes and perhaps even getting another shot in affiliated ball at some point in the future.
Andrew Vasquez Signs With Mexican League’s Tecolotes De Los Dos Laredos
The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League have signed left-hander Andrew Vasquez to a contract for the 2025 season, according to KPRC2’s Ari Alexander. Vasquez can walk away from the deal if he receives interest from a big league club, with the Tecolotes owed nothing in buyout fees.
Vasquez has logged 63 2/3 career innings over five MLB seasons, with the large majority of that action coming when he pitched 48 1/3 frames for the Phillies and Tigers in 2023. His bottom-line results of a 3.35 ERA were solid, though his strikeout (19.6%) and walk (10.5%) rates were both subpar, and his performance fell off drastically after he went to the Tigers on a waiver claim. Philadelphia opted to designate Vasquez for assignment just after the trade deadline in order to clear roster space, despite Vasquez’s 2.27 ERA in 39 2/3 innings for the club.
After struggling to an 8.31 ERA in 8 2/3 innings with his new team, Vasquez returned to the Tigers last winter on a minors contract and spent the entire 2024 campaign at Triple-A Toledo. Vasquez’s situation wasn’t helped by a lack of minor league options, but he didn’t make much of a case for promotion after posting a 5.11 ERA, 19.4% strikeout rate, and 9.6% walk rate over 68 2/3 innings with Toledo.
This stint in the Mexican League marks the first time in Vasquez’s pro career (which began as a 32nd-round pick for the Twins in 2015) that he has pitched outside of affiliated baseball. The 31-year-old should find more of a regular role with the Tecolotes than he would in battling amongst other minor league signings withing a Major League team’s camp, and his contract’s out clause allows Vazquez some flexibility if he pitches well enough to attract attention from MLB scouts.