Odrisamer Despaigne of the Chicago White Sox pitches against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the first inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 22, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Cuban journeyman starter Odrisamer Despaigne will play for Yaquis De Obregon for the Liga ARCO Mexicana Del Pacifico in the 2023-2024 winter league season, after playing for Liga Mexicana de Beisbol’s Mariachis De Guadalajara in the 2023 regular season.
Last season, Yaquis De Obregon lost in the semifinals of the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico playoffs losing to Caneros De Los Mochis in six games.
Despaigne will bring a veteran presence to their starting rotation. Last year, Despaigne pitched with the KT Wiz in the Korea Baseball Organization in his third season playing overseas, where he went 8-12 in 29 starts, pitching 163 innings with a 4.53 ERA, allowing 198 hits, walking 48 batters and striking out 123.
During Despaigne’s second season playing in Korea, he helped the KT Wiz win the 2021 Korean Series championship, going 13-10 with a 3.39 ERA in 33 starts, allowing 175 hits, walking 78 batters and striking out 165.
Despaigne played in Major League Baseball from 2014-19, jumping around between five organizations after leaving Cuba at the 2013 World Port Tournament in the Netherlands. He became a legal resident of Spain, then traveled to Mexico to play in the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico’s 2013-14 season. That year, with Aguilas De Mexicali, he started two games, recording a 3.38 ERA in eight innings, allowing six hits, walking four batters, and striking out four batters in his first season outside of Cuba.
Despaigne signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres on May 2, 2014 after performing a showcase in front of Major League Baseball team officials in February 2014. Despaigne eventually made his Major League debut on June 23, 2014, just a little over a month after being signed.
Despaigne played six seasons in Major League Baseball, where he went 13-26 with a 5.11 ERA and struck out 224 batters in the big leagues.
