Rays sign free agent Hernandez to one-year contract
The Tampa Bay Rays have signed free agent right-handed starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez to a one-year major league contract.
Hernandez, 32, is a seven-year major league veteran (2006-12) who has spent his entire career to date with the Cleveland Indians. In 2012 he made only three starts, all in August, and went 0-3 with a 7.53 ERA (14.1-IP, 12-ER). He began the season on Major League Baseball's Restricted List due to visa issues stemming from an offseason false-identity arrest in the Dominican Republic. After returning to the United States, Hernandez served a three-week suspension imposed by MLB and was then activated. A sprained right ankle sustained on August 27 ended his season.
Formerly known as Fausto Carmona, the righthander has compiled a career 53-69 record and 4.64 ERA over 184 games, 153 starts. He has limited right-handed hitters to a .243 batting average over his career. Hernandez's best season came in 2007 when he went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA (215-IP, 73-ER) and finished fourth in the American League Cy Young Award balloting. He was selected as an AL All-Star in 2010. The Indians signed him out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on December 28, 2000.