In 2025, the Algodoneros de Union Laguna’s pitching staff posted a 5.75 ERA in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol’s regular season, good for 12th in the league.
After losing last year’s No. 1 starter, Travis Lakins, to retirement, the Algodoneros have reloaded their rotation, signing former Major Leaguers Erasmo Ramirez and Touki Toussaint, and have former Chicago White Sox reliever Matt Foster, the 2025-26 Reliever of the Year in the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico with the Naranjeros de Hermosillo, returning.
Ramirez, 35, has 14 years of MLB experience with seven different teams, most recently having made nine appearances in 2025 with the Minnesota Twins, throwing 11 innings in relief with a 2.45 ERA. He made one start for Nicaragua during the 2026 World Baseball Classic, throwing five innings and allowing one run on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts in a 4-3 heartbreaking loss to the Netherlands. The Rivas, Nicaragua-native has a career ERA of 4.34 with an ERA+ of 92 and an FIP of 4.59 in 860 innings of work from 2012-25 with Seattle, Tampa Bay, Boston, Detroit, Washington, Minnesota, and the New York Mets.
Toussaint, 29, signed with the Algodoneros for the 2025 season but ended up spending most of the season at Triple-A Salt Lake City, making 24 appearances and throw 68 2/3 innings with a 7.34 ERA, and making a single MLB appearance with the Los Angeles Angels, allowing two runs on four hits in two innings of work in a 13-1 loss to Detroit on May 4. Over the winter, Toussaint made 13 starts for the Naranjeros de Hermosillo, throwing 64 2/3 innings with a 5.01 ERA, 61 strikeouts and 31 walks.
Foster, 30, returns to the Algodoneros after a sensational winter in Hermosillo, where he posted a 1.16 ERA, recording 14 saves and 31 strikeouts in 31 inning across 10 appearances, earning the LAMP Reliever of the Year. At the 2026 Caribbean Series, Foster made three appearances in the round robin and threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking two, and striking out three for the Charros de Jalisco. He threw one inning with a strikeout to earn a hold in the Charros’ 8-6 win against the Cangrejeros de Santurce of Puerto Rico in the semifinal and did the same in Jalisco’s dramatic 12-11 win in the championship game. The Valley, Alabama-native made 114 career appearances over four seasons with the Chicago White Sox, throwing 119 1/3 innings with a 4.30 ERA and 117 strikeouts.
Former Padre Villanueva Joins Saraperos de Saltillo For 2026 – First baseman Christian Villanueva has signed with Saltillo after spending the last three summers with the Sultanes de Monterrey.
The 35-year-old Guadalajara native made 122 appearances in MLB with the San Diego Padres in 2017 and 2018, and was essentially a “three true outcome” player, batting .245/.303/.475 with 24 homers, 53 RBIs, 23 walks, and 114 strikeouts in 416 plate appearances.
Since leaving the Padres, he’s appeared in 127 games in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Yomiuri Giants, played in the LAMP with the Charros de Jalisco and Yaquis de Obregon, and spent the last four of the last five summers in the LMB, playing for the Sultanes de Monterrey in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and spent last season with the Rieleros de Aguascalientes.
In 268 career LMB games, Villanueva has a .297/.391/.457 slash line with 31 homers and 158 RBIs.
Photo: Erasmo Ramírez (30) aims a pitch during the second inning of a World Baseball Classic game against the Netherlands, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
