The Mets have signed right-handed pitcher Oliver Ortega to a minor league contract, giving him a chance to compete in spring training.
New York: So, the Mets just signed Oliver Ortega, a right-handed pitcher, to a minor league deal. This news came from Jon Morosi at MLB.com. Pretty cool, right?
What’s interesting is that Ortega’s contract includes an invite to major league spring training. He’s 28 and hails from the Dominican Republic. He’s pitched in 45 major league games over three seasons with the Angels and Twins.
His career ERA is 4.03, and he strikes out about 7.9 batters per nine innings. Not too shabby! But here’s the kicker: he missed a lot of last season due to elbow surgeries. He had two surgeries last year, one to remove loose bodies and another for a bone spur.
Now, he’s joining a group of low-risk, high-reward relievers the Mets have signed this offseason. Along with Ortega, they’ve also brought in Dylan Covery, Justin Hagenman, and Kevin Herget. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out!