Andy Rodriguez, a right-handed-pitcher on the Miami Dade College baseball team this past season, signed a free agent minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.
The 23-year-old, who defected from the Cuban National Team in June of 2021, will report to the Arizona Instructional League in October and train as a starting pitcher.
This past season at MDC, he converted from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Rodriguez, who was the Southern Conference Pitcher of The Year, had a 10-3 record, striking out 121 batters and posting a 2.45 ERA.
Despite the impressive season, he went undrafted in the 20-round Major League Baseball Draft held last week.
“I was worried [after the draft] but when [the Rangers] called me, my mood completely changed,” Rodriguez said. “They gave me the opportunity to return to the baseball field and play with them. That is the most beautiful thing that could have happened.”
