This veteran pitcher isn’t ready for retirement after all, expects to re-sign with Rangers
Edinson Volquez said in July that he was almost done with baseball. His goal at that point, on the rehab trail from an elbow injury, was just to pitch again in the major leagues for heading into retirement.
Scratch all of that.
The veteran right-hander is expected to sign a contract with the Texas Rangers, likely a minor-league deal, to pitch out of their bullpen in 2020.
Volquez, who attended the Rangers’ ceremony to open their new Dominican Republic academy, expects to be a mentor to the young relievers on the team as much as he is a pitcher.
But he was buoyed by how well he felt and pitched in September after missing all but two April starts.
“We’re working on it right now,” Volquez said. “I was trying to retire but I got too many phone calls to come back and help them. I’m really happy to be back with the same group we had last year.
“The way I finished the season, I changed my mind a little bit. I was throwing hard without pain, and they knew that.”
Volquez did not post gaudy stats overall, going 0-1 with 6.75 ERA, but he pitched to a 4.91 ERA in limited September action. Left-handed hitters batted only .222 against him.
Volquez would be pitching a 15th season. His biggest contribution to the Rangers last season was helping mentor other relievers.
Closer Jose Leclerc credits Volquez for picking up on a mechanical flaw early in the season. Manager Chris Woodward values how Volquez helped first-time MLB relievers work through a rough outing and staying level-headed through good and bad performance.
Volquez, 36, enjoys that part of his job.
“Young guys struggle, so you need a guy like me to say, ‘Hey, let’s go. Let’s keep it up,’” Volquez said. “When you can do that, I think a lot of people are going to want you.”
