The jury is still out on Texas Rangers pitcher Alexi Ogando, but one thing is for certain, he's proven to be one of the more versatile pitchers in the game over the past four seasons — bouncing back and forth between the bullpen and starting rotation, and doing both with pretty solid effectiveness.
In 48 starts for the Rangers, Ogando is 19-12 with a 3.40 ERA, 193 strikeouts and 81 walks. Those are plenty respectable numbers for a mid-rotation type pitcher. He's no ace, but every team needs a No. 3 or No. 4 starter, and Ogando is a good one.
In 108 appearances as a relief pitcher, Ogando is 7-1 with a 2.46 ERA, 110 strikeouts and 36 walks. Those are very good numbers, and Ogando might even have closer potential.
So what do the Rangers do with Ogando in 2014? If the season started tomorrow, he'd be in the rotation. But what if the Rangers go get David Price or Max Scherzer or some other big-name starting pitcher. That slides Ogando into an already stocked bullpen. Unless, of course, Ogando is one of the chips that lands one of those big-name starting pitchers.
It's very possible Ogando is pitching elsewhere in 2014, and don't be surprised if that's the case.
Ogando will help the Rangers in a big way in 2014, it's just not yet known how that will happen. It'll be in the rotation, the bullpen or in getting a big name via trade. Which do you think?
