Ronald Bolaños #57 of the Kansas City Royals poses during Photo Day. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, Yusseff Diaz of Pelota Cubana USA reported that Cuban right-handed pitcher Ronald Bolanos had signed a contract with the Guerreros de Oaxaca of Liga Mexicana de Beisbol.
Bolanos began the 2024 LMB season with the Diablos Rojos del México, appearing in two games (4.1 innings), allowing two earned runs and striking out two. The club released him shortly after.
Bolanos was impressive during the 2023-24 Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico winter season, posting a 1.49 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 36.1 innings for the Caneros de Los Mochis. All eight of his appearances came as a starting pitcher.
Bolanos, 27, was born in Jaruco, Cuba, and signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent in 2016. He appeared in 18 Major League Baseball games from 2019 to 2022, logging 48 innings with the San Diego Padres (2019) and Kansas City Royals (2020-22).
His best statistical MLB season was in 2021 for the Royals, when he struck out ten batters in 6.1 innings out of the bullpen—a small sample size, but one that earned Bolanos eight more appearances with Kansas City in 2022.
He signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins in April 2023 but was not promoted to MLB. Instead, he made 16 appearances for Triple-A Jacksonville and posted an 8.63 ERA with a 3-10 record. Miami released him in August 2023.
Bolanos will now try and help the Guerreros de Oaxaca (5-4) maintain pace with the top two teams of Zona Sur, the Leones de Yucatan (8-1) and Diablos Rojos del México (8-1), who are in a tie for first place in the division.
The Guerreros de Oaxaca (+23), Leones de Yucatan (+33), and Diablos Rojos del México (+26) are the only three teams of 10 in Zona Sur that have a positive run differential.
On Sunday, the Guerreros de Oaxaca lost 10-4 against the Tigres de Quintana Roo (3-6) and will play the Olmecas de Tabasco (3-6) at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 23, at Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos in Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Liga Mexicana de Beisbol fans can watch the 2024 regular season using Jonron. TV.