Ogando Succeeding in New Uniform

When the Texas Rangers declined to tender an offer to Alexi Ogando this winter in arbitration, we had a feeling it might come back to bite them.

Hindsight's 20/20, but Ogando was just too electric and successful when he wasn't being jerked around from the rotation to the bullpen, back again and then back again and so on.

Sure enough, the Boston Red Sox brought in Ogando this winter for a one-year deal worth a drop in the hat of $1.5 million, and Ogando has turned into one of the few bright spots for a struggling Red Sox team.

The lanky right-hander is sporting a 2.88 ERA this season, leads all Boston relievers in appearances and recently he's started to work his way into the setup role to hand the ball off to another former Ranger in Koji Uehara.

Ogando's fastball is back up in the mid- to upper-90s after dipping into the low 90s last year as he was suffering from elbow fatigue that never required surgery.

“It’s not really something I think about all that much,” Ogando told the Boston Herald through a translator of his increasing role. “I kind of go out there and do my job, whatever my role, whatever situation, leverage, so be it. I just try to go out there and do my job and execute my pitches. I feel like I’m prepared for anything, for any position they want to throw me in.”

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