‘Follow Hanwha on social media’ Ortega released by Texas…free to go
Veteran outfielder Rafael Ortega (32), who was rumored to be joining the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO, has become a free agent.
“Ortega has been released by the Texas Rangers,” MLB Trade Rumors, an American media outlet that covers player transfers, reported on Aug. 8 (KST).
The Venezuelan right-handed hitting outfielder made his major league debut in 2012 with the Colorado Rockies. He went on to play for the Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, and Atlanta Braves before joining the Chicago Cubs in 2021, batting .291 with 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 12 doubles, and an OPS of .823 in 103 games. In his major league career, he batted .250 with 21 homers, 101 RBIs, 41 doubles, and a .683 OPS in 364 games.
His breakout season didn’t last long, however, and he bounced around the minors with the New York Yankees and Texas, not returning to the majors until 2022. This season, he appeared in 44 games at Triple-A, batting .226 with five home runs, 26 RBIs, and a .714 OPS. In 1,165 career minor league games, Ortega is batting .289 with 77 home runs, 475 RBI, 267 doubles, and a .782 OPS.
Ortega recently garnered interest as a possible replacement for outfielder Brian O’Grady, who was released midseason after it was discovered that he followed Hanwha’s official Instagram account. However, Ortega’s recent struggles in the minor leagues and the presence of other players on Hanwha’s watch list have left his chances of making it to the KBO unrealized. Now that he is a free agent, it will be interesting to see if Ortega chooses to stay in a Hanwha uniform as rumored, or if he will try to break into the big leagues again 안전놀이터.