Ronald Bolaños of Team Cuba pitchs at the bottom of the first inning during the World Baseball Classic exhibition game between Cuba and Rakuten Monkeys at Douliu Baseball Stadium on March 05, 2023 in Douliu, Taiwan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Cuban pitcher Ronald Bolaños will play for the Caneros de Los Mochis for the 2023-24 Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico regular season, the president of A&F Sports Agency Gladys Alonso told World Baseball Network on Sunday through WhatsApp.
Colombian pitcher Luis Gabriel Moreno will also join the pitching staff of Caneros de Los Mochis with Bolanos for the 2023-24 season.
Alonso told World Baseball Network that Bolaños will play in Mexico for one month, while potentially looking for another offer from another team in Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana for November or December.
On September 19, Alonso told WBN’s Julian Guilarte that Bolaños had a valid contract with the Aguilas Cibaenas, which is now no longer the case. He had also previously been linked to a team in Venezuela.
Bolaños was represented by Lisette Carnett of Lenoa Sports, but changed agents and is now represented by Gladys Alonso of A & F Sports Agency based in Miami. Alonso explained Bolaños’ decision not to play for the Caribes de Anzoátegui in Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional for the 2023-24 season
“He did not want to go to Venezuela for safety reasons. Venezuela is a very dangerous place right now,” Alonso said to World Baseball Network in September. “He will play for another team.”
Bolanos played for Triple-A Jacksonville in the Miami Marlins organization this past season, starting 15 games with a 3-10 record and an 8.63 ERA while throwing 65.2 innings. This season, Bolanos allowed 86 hits, 63 earned runs, eight home runs, 48 walks, and 48 strikeouts including a 2.04 WHIP.
Bolanos also suited up for Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, helping them reach the semifinals in Miami where they lost to the United States 14-2.
During the World Baseball Classic, Bolanos appeared in two games and made one start, throwing 1.2 innings and allowing five hits, five earned runs, one home run, and three walks with a 27.00 ERA, while opponents batted .500 against him.
After the World Baseball Classic, Bolanos signed a minor league contract with the Marlins as a free agent on April 8.
Last winter, Bolanos played his first winter season with the Toros del Este in the LIDOM. He went 3-4 in nine starts, throwing 35.2 innings with a 3.53 ERA while allowing 35 hits, two home runs, 20 walks, and striking out 28 batters.
In 2022, Bolanos split time between Triple-A Omaha and the Kansas City Royals.
Bolanos started in four games along and made a total of 28 appearances while going 0-4 for Triple-A Omaha, throwing 41.2 innings with a 6.26 ERA, allowing 59 hits, six home runs, 18 walks, and 34 strikeouts.
Bolanos only appeared in eight games out of the bullpen for the Royals, throwing 18.1 innings with a 4.42 ERA, allowing 20 hits, nine earned runs, two home runs, 12 walks, and 12 strikeouts with a 1.745 WHIP.
During the 2021 season, Bolanos split between two sectors of the complex league level, Double-A Northwest Arkansas, and Triple-A Omaha.
Bolanos went 0-4 with a 7.28 ERA in 15 starts at all four levels, and threw 47 innings, allowing 51 hits, 38 earned runs, 13 home runs, 37 walks, and 44 strikeouts.
Bolaños could represent Cuba in the Premier 12 World Baseball Championship in November 2024. Cuba will likely bring a similar roster to the other players that were playing in MLB with Cuba in the WBC such as Cuban players, off MLB 40-man rosters and Nippon Professional Baseball players.
The Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico 2023-24 regular season will begin on October 13.
The Caneros de Los Mochis will open up the season at home against the Mayos de Navojoa at 10:30 p.m. EDT at Chevron Park on October 13. All Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico regular season games will be on https://www.extrabase.tv/home streaming service with a paid subscription through the final out of their championship series in January, right before the 2024 Caribbean Series in Miami at loanDepot Park.