After Finding Himself Overseas, Noesi Trying to Reestablish Himself in the MLB
Second chances don't come around all the time and, when they do, you have to take advantage of your opportunities. After spending four seasons in the MLB from 2011-2015, reliever Hector Noesi is getting his second chance with the Pittsburgh Pirates after signing a Minor League contract and receiving an invite to Spring training this season. Noesi appeared in his first MLB game since 2015 last season when he pitched for the Miami Marlins. However, it did not go well and the 33-year old is trying to find his way back to success.
After pitching at Triple-A New Orleans to start 2019, Noesi appeared in 12 games, four starts, and went 0-3 with an 8.46 ERA in 27.2 innings of work. He walked 18 batters in that time frame as his control was iffy while he only struck out 24 batters and allowed a .280 opponent batting average. After the season, Noesi was sent outright to Triple-A and the reliever elected for Free Agency instead of trying to work things out in the Minor Leagues. The Pirates were in need of some pitching depth, and they were willing to take a chance on Noesi giving him an invite to Spring Training.
Noesi's journey in the MLB started when he signed with the New York Yankees out of the Dominican Republic during the 2006 season and got his start in the Dominican Summer League. Six years later, Noesi would be in the MLB making his debut for the Yankees on May 8th, 2011. In that game, he would throw four shut out innings allowing just one hit to start his MLB career. He would appear in 30 games for the Yankees that season and pitched ok with a 4.47 ERA in 56.1 innings pitched going 2-2. His walk numbers were high, as he walked 22 batters, and his strikeout numbers didn't jump off the page, with just 45.
After the season, Noesi would move on from his days with the Yankees and was traded, along with catcher Jesus Montero, to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. The Mariners would bring Noesi from the bullpen and started using him as a starter more the next season. Of his 22 appearances in Seattle during 2012, 18 were starts but his ERA didn't get any better. He would end the season 2-12 in 106.2 innings of work allowing 108 hits in that work. His control numbers got better, however, as he walked just 39 but his strikeout numbers seemed to get worse as he struck out just 68.
Noesi would spend most of 2013 in the Minor Leagues with Seattle, appearing in just 12 games at the MLB level. His ERA made a jump for the third season in a row and he once again wasn't able to get his strikeout numbers up. He would appear in just two games for the Mariners in 2014 before being shipped to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later. It was a very quick run for Noesi in Texas as he appeared in just three games, giving up seven runs in 5.2 innings of work, before being designated for assignment. Noesi would be picked up by the Chicago White Sox and pitched for his third team in one month when he joined the White Sox starting rotation.
He ended up posting the best numbers of his MLB career appearing in 28 games, 27 starts, for the White Sox while posting a career-low 4.39 ERA. Opponents hit just .264 against Noesi and he kept decent control numbers walking 54 batters in 116 innings of work. Despite the improvements, the White Sox had moved on from the right-hander and designated him for assignment in 2015 before Noesi elected free agency. For Noesi, it looked like his professional baseball career might be behind him. He had pitched for four MLB teams and just couldn't find his way with any of them.
That is when Noesi took his talents overseas and pitched for three seasons with the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball League. Going oversees allows players who have struggled in professional baseball a chance to hone their craft while still playing baseball at a competitive level. The move paid dividends right away for Noesi and he took off with the Tigers in 2016. He made 30 starts for the Tigers and went an impressive 15-5 with a 3.40 ERA in 206 innings of work for the Tigers. He struck out 139 batters during that timeframe and walked just 54 as he started to find himself.
He would play three seasons for the Tigers and played the best baseball of his career. He went 46-20 in those three seasons, finishing with 15 or more wins in all three seasons. He pitched to a 3.79 ERA and looked to be throwing at the top of his game as he entered his age 31 season. The Miami Marlins took notice of Noesi's success overseas and decided to give him a shot signing him to a Minor League contract with an invite to Spring Training. Noesi would not make the opening day roster, but after spending the first four months in Triple-A, Noesi got the call to the Marlins in August.
He would appear in his first MLB game since 2015 on August 6th, 2019, making a start against the New York Mets. Noesi's comeback story didn't go the way he planned and he gave up five earned runs in five innings of work. He gave up five or more earned runs in each of his first four starts for the Marlins and saw his ERA jump as high as 11.29. After the rough patch, he ended his season on a positive note allowing just three earned runs in his final eight appearances. However, the Marlins released Noesi by season's end and he went to the Dominican Winter League to work on his skills.
He would impress in five games with the Tigres del Licey appearing in five games and pitching to a 1.08 ERA. He struck out 21 batters in 25 innings of work while walking two and going 3-2. The Pirates noticed this effort and invited Noesi to camp on a Minor League deal. 2020 was Noesi's eight Spring camp and he got off to a rough start in three appearances, two starts. He has given up four earned runs in five innings of work while opponents are hitting .350 against him. On the positive side, he is still showing good control with one walk and four strikeouts over that time. Before camps broke, Noesi got sent down to Triple-A to start 2020 as he tries to find his way with the Indianapolis Indians.
The Pirates are the sixth team that Noesi jas played for in his MLB career and it might just be his last shot to make it big. In order for it to be a success, Noesi is going to have to limit his hard contact and keep up with his good control. After not appearing in an MLB game for four seasons, Noesi's hard-hit percentage skyrocketed to 38.9% in 2019, almost a ten-point increase from his previous experience. This led to him allowing seven home runs in his 27.2 innings of work last season. If he makes it to the big leagues at some point this season, he will have the advantage of a big left field to work with, which might make some of those home run balls turn into outs.
Noesi features a four-pitch arsenal that is headlined by his sinker, which he uses 44.5% of the time. With 18.5 inches of drop, Noesi actually works his sinker up in the zone trying to get batters to swing over top of the ball. However, his most effective pitch was his curveball, which he used 16.7% of the time. Opposing hitters hit just .136 against the pitch and he generated 12 of his strikeouts off the pitch. His curveball features 49 inches of drop as Noesi tries to use that downward movement against opposing hitters. Besides his sinker, Noesi works low in the zone with his off-speed stuff trying to change the eye level of his hitters after showing them the high sinker.
Noesi's future with the Pirates is pretty unclear as we enter the 2020 season. With many other right-handed options available in the bullpen, Noesi might be a piece the Pirates can use for starting pitching or long relief depth. However, there are several young pitchers ahead of him for those long reliever spots limiting his opportunities with the big league club. Still, it is always nice to have depth in the pitching department and, if more doubleheaders are on tap for this season, spot starts may become the norm, and Noesi can definitely take one or two of those games.
Prediction: Designated for Assignment
Hector Noesi is the first player of our 2020 features that I do not think will have a long career in Pittsburgh. He will start the year in Triple-A and might make a couple of late-season appearances for the Pirates, but at age 33 he probably will be designated for assignment by season's end. I just don't see Noesi fitting into the Pirates long term plans, and I feel that he will be back in the Korean Baseball League where he can continue to have success with the Tigers and ride off into the professional baseball sunset.
It is still uncertain as to when the 2020 MLB season is set to begin, but we at Buccos Cove are determined to continue to bring you strong content. Until the 2020 season begins, we will continue looking at the players who make up the 2020 Pirates organization and how they will impact the organization this season.
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