In early December the Chicago White Sox signed Jorge Rondon to a minor-league deal. The right-handed pitcher was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier in the fall and has struggled to catch on in the big leagues over three years. But there’s evidence that suggests Rondon will never make it to Spring Training.
The Venezuelan-born hurler was signed in 2006 by the St. Louis Cardinals and served at every minor league level over his 10-year career. Rondon spent seven years in the Cardinals organization, consistently logging reliable innings with decent numbers. The right-hander experimented as a starter but was quickly designated to the bullpen and settled into a comfortable role – one that allowed him a cup of coffee in the show. However, Rondon has never had success against big league hitters.
In the major leagues, Rondon owns a career 13.26 earned run average in only 19 innings of work. Sadly, the right-hander gives up a lot of hits and even more runs. Reaching Triple-A in 2012, Rondon contributed quality innings showing promise with an ERA of 3.60. And the hurler continued that pace for the next three seasons never allowing his ERA to reach four.
After leaving the Cardinals, the Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, and Pirates believed enough in Rondon to give him a chance, and with quality statistics over his career, especially at the upper levels, it’s puzzling why the right-hander struggles in the majors.
Yet, there’s a possibility that Rondon won’t ever make it to Spring Training with the White Sox. According to Fan Interference, it appears that Rondon has signed with the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan. The news broke on Dec. 28 but there is no official announcement from the Dragons or White Sox to corroborate this report.
Like many other teams before, the White Sox would love for Rondon to finally figure out how to silence big league bats. And just like Chris Volstad, this might be Rondon’s last chance at carving out a big-league career.
Matt Enuco is a Staff Writer for Outside Pitch MLB covering the Chicago White Sox. Follow Matt on Twitter.
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