Endrys Briceno of the Amarillo Sod Poodles delivers a pitch during a game against the Frisco RoughRiders at Riders Field on May 16, 2023 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Ben Ludeman/Texas Rangers/Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Venezuelan journeyman right-hander Endrys Briceno will play for the Cangrejeros de Santurce for the 2023-24 Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente regular season, the team’s social media pages announced on Wednesday.
Briceno, 31, was born in Maracay, Venezuela and suited up for the Venezuelan national team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, appearing in one game of Pool D against Israel and throwing 0.1 innings with no hits allowed, no earned runs, and one walk during his lone appearance of the tournament. Briceno replaced Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez’s spot on the roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic after Suarez left the tournament with left forearm tightness back on March 10.
This past season, Briceno started off in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization with Triple-A Reno, appearing in 12 games out of the bullpen and throwing 15 innings, allowing nine hits, eight earned runs, three home runs, 11 walks, and 13 strikeouts with a 1.333 WHIP before he was demoted to Double-A Amarillo.
He only appeared in two games with Amarillo, throwing 0.2 innings and recording a 13.50 ERA, allowing three hits, one earned run, and one strikeout before he was released on June 2.
Briceno was picked up by the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs for his third season in the Atlantic League. He appeared in 11 games out of the bullpen, posting a 1-1 record alongside a 5.28 ERA and throwing 15.1 innings while allowing 19 hits, nine earned runs, three home runs, eight walks, and striking out 24.
During Briceno’s three-year career in the Atlantic League with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs from 2021-23, he has posted an 11-4 record with a 1.86 ERA, throwing 120.2 innings and recording 16 saves, allowing 77 hits, 25 earned runs, nine home runs, 50 walks, and 174 strikeouts with a 1.052 WHIP.
Briceno has played three seasons in the winter leagues with Venezuela’s Tiburones de La Guaira in 2013-14 and 2016-17 and with Indios de Mayagüez in Puerto Rico last winter. In three seasons, Briceno has made 24 appearances and posted a 1-2 record with two saves, a 5.63 ERA over 24 innings while allowing 35 hits, 15 earned runs, two home runs, eight walks, and 22 strikeouts with a 1.052 WHIP.
Briceno has played 13 professional seasons since signed by the Detroit Tigers as an international free agent on May 17, 2009. Briceno spent 10 seasons with the Tigers organization before he elected free agency on November 2, 2018, after not reaching the Double-A level.
During his 13-year career, Briceno is 38-46 with a lifetime ERA of 4.31 over 309 games, posting 22 saves, throwing 741 innings allowing 779 hits, 355 earned runs, 49 home runs, 314 walks, and 603 strikeouts with a 1.475 WHIP.
The Gigantes de Carolina, RA12, Cangrejeros de Santurce, Indios de Mayagüez, Leones de Ponce, and Criollos de Caguas are the teams that will play during the 2023-24 LBPRC season.
The Leones de Ponce will play against Criollos de Caguas on November 3 at Estadio Yldefonso Sola Morales at 7:45 p.m. EDT.
All teams will start the season on November 4. The Indios de Mayaguez will play RA12 at 7:45 p.m. EDT at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on November 4 and the Cangrejeros de Santurce will play their first game of the 2023-24 LBPRC winter league season on November 4 on the road against the Gigantes de Carolina at Estadio Roberto Clemente at 7:45 p.m. EDT.
Individual team social media pages from the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente will have information on upcoming games to be streamed on their Facebook and YouTube pages.