Andy Otero of Team Panama pitches during the game between the Team Cuba and the Team Panama at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on Friday, March 10, 2023 in Taichung City, Taiwan. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Journeyman professional starting pitcher Andy Otero has signed with Bravos de Leon out of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol for the 2023 season.
Otero pitched in the World Baseball Classic for Panama, and in one start, he recorded a 6.00 ERA through three innings pitched, allowing six hits, two earned runs, walking one batter and striking out four.
During the winter league season in the Liga de Beisbol Profesional de la Republica Dominicana, he played for Estrellas Orientales. In four starts during the regular season, he pitched 17 innings, recording a 3.71 ERA allowing 12 hits, one home run, walking 10 batters and striking out 13. In the LIDOM round robin, Otero went 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA in four starts through 18 innings of work, allowing 11 hits, walking seven batters, and striking out 13, helping Estrellas Orientales move on to the Championship Series.
During the LIDOM Championship Series against Tigres Del Licey, Otero recorded a 2.35 ERA in two of his starts, pitching 7.2 innings and allowing eight hits, walking two batters, and striking out seven, as Estrellas fell short of the championship title and a trip to the 2023 Caribbean Series.
Otero bounced around the Milwaukee Brewers organization, playing with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds and Double-A Biloxi Shuckers, where in both levels he combined with a 3.42 ERA in 23 games before signing to play in Taiwan for the China Trust Brothers Club of the Chinese Professional Baseball League for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Otero signed with the CTBC Brothers on August 23 and pitched in 26.2 innings in five starts with a 2-1 overall record, recording a 4.55 ERA and giving up three home runs, 29 hits, walking four batters, and striking out 21 en route to the 2022 Taiwan Series Championship Tile and the 18th championship in the history of the Brothers franchise, sweeping the Rakuten Monkeys in the best-of-seven series.
Otero was signed by the Braves as an international free agent on January 8, 2009 and adjusted from the Dominican Summer League circuit in 2009 at the age of 17 and played seven years in the Atlanta organization, working in their farm system up to the High-A Carolina Mudcats.
Bravos De Leon has not won a Serie Del Rey title since their lone championship in the history of their franchise came during the 1990 LMB season.
