After releasing Eddy Rodriguez last week, FORTITUDO BOLOGNA has found a replacement for the former Major League reliever. Victor Moreno, who pitched an inning for Venezuela against Italy in the 2009 World Baseball Classic this March, is supposed to follow staff ace Jesus Matos in each week’s game one.
Moreno is 29 years old and is playing professional baseball since 1999, when he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He later also spent time with affiliates of the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles, pitching in Triple-A between 2004 and 2007. The past one-plus years he played in the Mexican league, where he also started the 2009 season.
In ten years minor league baseball Moreno had a 32-23 record with an ERA of 4.53 and 443 strikeouts (253 walks) in 472.1 innings pitched. He was expected to arrive today. Rodriguez came to Italy this spring, but couldn’t impress, allowing ten runs (8 ER) on seven hits and nine walks in just six innings over four games.