Miguel Romero of Team Cuba pitches in the third inning against Team USA during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 19, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Cuban right-handed pitcher Miguel Romero will play for the Conspiradores de Querétaro in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, Yusseff Diaz of Pelota Cubana USA reported on Thursday.
Romero was committed to playing for the LMB’s Rieleros de Aguascalientes in 2023 but was released by the organization prior to his signing with Querétaro.
The Conspiradores de Querétaro will play their inaugural season in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol during 2024 at Estadio Conspiradores in Huimilpan, Querétaro, Mexico.
Romero also suffered an injury to his right elbow during the 2023-24 season, Diaz reported on January 7.
Romero is not on the active roster with the Tiburones de La Guaira during their playoff push in Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional.
Romero, 29, was born in Guantanamo, Cuba, and made four starts with the Tiburones de La Guaira in the 2023-24 season, going 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA, throwing 16.1 innings and allowing 19 hits, 11 earned runs, two home runs, 11 walks, six strikeouts, and a 1.837 WHIP.
Romero also went 2-2 in Mexico during the 2023-24 season in four starts posting a 3.43 ERA throwing 21 innings allowing 18 hits, eight earned runs, three home runs, seven walks, 10 strikeouts, and a 1.190 WHIP.
He was released by the Oakland Athletics on May 23, 2023. Romero went 0-1 appearing in 14 games posting a 6.60 ERA allowing 15 hits, 11 earned runs, two home runs, 13 walks, and 12 strikeouts with Triple-A Las Vegas.
Romero began his professional career as an 18-year-old in the Serie Nacional de Béisbol, the primary professional baseball league in Cuba operated from the Federación Cubana de Béisbol. In four years with the Indios de Guantanamo, Romero appeared in 46 games and had a 4.80 ERA.
He signed with the Oakland Athletics as an international free agent in 2017 and advanced quickly through their system. Romero was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas in 2019, but was never called up to Major League Baseball. Romero’s best statistical minor league season came in 2019, recording a win-loss record of 4-1 with 81 strikeouts in 72.2 innings.
Romero pitched in 10 games in 2019-20 with the Indios de Mayaguez of Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, the winter league in Puerto Rico. He recorded a 1.46 ERA and had 13 strikeouts in 12.1 innings. He returned to Puerto Rico in the winter of 2022-23, playing for Gigantes de Carolina. Romero allowed no earned runs and six hits in seven innings.
In his three seasons in the winter leagues in Puerto Rico and Mexico, Romero has a lifetime 5-2 record with a 2.23 ERA in four starts and 19 appearances posting five saves while throwing 40.1 innings, allowing 36 hits, 10 earned runs, three home runs, 16 walks, 29 strikeouts, and a 1.289 WHIP.
Romero played for Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and was one of three pitchers named to the All-Tournament Team. The other two were Shohei Ohtani and Patrick Sandoval, both members of the Los Angeles Angels. Romero led the tournament in strikeouts with 13 and pitched in five games for Cuba. No other pitcher in the World Baseball Classic appeared in more than four. Opposing hitters had a combined .219 batting average against Romero at the WBC. Cuba won Pool A of the World Baseball Classic but lost to the United States 14-2 in the semifinals.
Romero is an option for the Federación Cubana de Beisbol to be part of the pitching rotation as a starter or a reliever in the 2024 WBSC Premier 12 tournament, which will be played in November. Cuba is ranked No. 8 in the World Baseball Rankings.
The 2024 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol regular season will open with the Diablos Rojos del México facing the Pericos de Puebla at Estadio de Béisbol Hermanos Serdán in Puebla on April 11.
The Conspiradores de Querétaro will play their first game of the 2024 LMB season on April 12 against the Tigres de Quintana Roo on the road at Estadio de Beisbol Beto Ávila in Cancun, Mexico.