After switching him back and forth between the bullpen and rotation for three seasons the Rangers are now committed to sticking with Alexi Ogando as a full-time starter.
And he’s happy about that, telling T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com: “This is what I want. For me, starting is easier. You have four days off and every fifth day you pitch. I like the routine of the starter.”
Ogando made the All-Star team as a starter in 2011 and has a 3.49 ERA in 30 career starts, but he also has a 2.53 ERA in 103 career relief appearances.
Sullivan notes that one big difference for Ogando is that he relied almost exclusively on his fastball-slider combination as a reliever, using his changeup just 11 times in 1,040 pitches. As a starter in 2011 he threw his changeup about four times more often, which still isn’t much, but he’s apparently planning to work it into his repertoire more this season.
