“Special Weapon” Ogando Not Bothered By Relief Role

With Neftali Feliz most likely joining the Rangers’ rotation in 2012, along with Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Yu Darvish, Alexi Ogando will return to a bullpen similar to that of last fall, when he helped the Rangers to a second consecutive World Series appearance.

Ogando would like to start, and has proven he is more than capable of doing so, earning a trip to the All-Star Game as a starter in 2011 after starting the season 7-0 in 12 starts. But the staff is loaded, and Texas has decided they’d be best served with Feliz starting and Ogando coming out of the pen.

"Ogando is very versatile," Rangers’ manager Ron Washington said, per ESPN Dallas. "He's a special weapon, a very special weapon."

As for Ogando himself, he’d prefer starting, but isn’t bothered by his role as a middle- to late-relief guy.

"I don't think about that," Ogando said.