Orioles sign LHP De La Cruz
The Baltimore Orioles increased their stockpile of left-handed pitchers, giving reliever Kelvin De La Cruz a one-year major league contract, the team announced Monday.
"We like his size and he's got a couple of good pitches, he has a couple good weapons to strike hitters out," Baltimore executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said, according to MLB.com. "He had a good year last year in the Dodgers' Triple-A (level). We think there's a couple things we can help him out with (adjustments-wise), and that he can compete."
De La Cruz, 25, is an eight-year minor league veteran with no major league experience. He spent 2013 in the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system, going a combined 3-1 with seven saves and a 2.67 ERA in 50 appearances for Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Albuquerque.
Over six seasons in the Cleveland Indians organization, then a year apiece with the Detroit Tigers organization and the Dodgers organization, De La Cruz has a career 40-37 mark with nine saves and a 4.18 ERA in 185 games (111 starts).
