Cesar Valdez

39-Year-Old PitcherP
 Free Agent  
2025 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Cesar Valdez in 2025. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
RANKS
From Preseason
$Signed a one-year contract with the Angels in December of 2022. Released by the Angels in October of 2023.
Clears waivers
PLos Angeles Angels  
May 14, 2023
The Angels outrighted Valdez to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
The 38-year-old right-hander will stick around in the organization after he wasn't claimed off waivers upon being designated for assignment earlier in the week. Before being cast off the 40-man roster, Valdez compiled a 7.18 ERA, 1.95 WHIP and 26:12 K:BB over 26.1 innings.
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Pitching Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2017
2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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2017 MLB Game Log
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Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-100%
BAA vs LHP
2024
No Stats
2023
No Stats
2022
 
 
-100%
BAA vs LHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2022vs Left .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Since 2022vs Right .667 3 0 0 2 0 0 0
2024vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022vs Left .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022vs Right .667 3 0 0 2 0 0 0
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Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-100%
ERA at Home
2024
No Stats
2023
No Stats
2022
 
 
-100%
ERA at Home
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2022Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Since 2022Away 9.00 2.00 1.0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2024Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022Away 9.00 2.00 1.0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
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Defensive Stats
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2018
2011
2010
2009
The road to big-league success has been long for Valdez, who was out of affiliated baseball entirely between 2011 and 2015 and again from 2017 to 2019. Baltimore was rewarded for taking a flier on him in 2020 with a strong showing by the right-hander that included a 1.26 ERA and three saves. The sample size is tiny, but Valdez showed signs of being able to sustain a role in the big leagues, registering a 5.7 BB% and 22.6K%. Though his fastball sits in the mid-80s, Valdez was able to keep hitters at bay last season with a "dead fish" changeup that he deployed 83% of the time. Opponents registered a meek .238 xBA against the offering, which features one of the steepest vertical breaks in baseball. Whether hitters adjust to the pitch will determine the sustainability of Valdez's success, but he'll at least have the opportunity to build on his Cinderella campaign with a prominent bullpen role to open 2021.
Returning to the majors after a six-year hiatus, Valdez worked as both a spot starter and reliever before a shoulder impingement ended his season, making 11 appearances (four starts) between Oakland and Toronto. The results were downright ugly, with Valdez giving up 26 earned runs on 41 hits in 30.2 frames. Sure, some poor luck played into the surface stats being as bad as they were (.340 BABIP, 55.6 percent left-on-base rate), but it's not like Valdez was good at the things he could control. The right-hander had just a 7.1 K-BB percentage and allowed hard contact at an alarming 45.8 percent clip, leading to a 2.05 HR/9 rate. Valdez was outrighted off the Blue Jays' 40-man roster in November and it's uncertain if the 33-year-old will ever throw another pitch at the major-league level.
Valdez made his big league debut with the D-Backs last season, logging his 20 innings over nine appearances including a pair of starts. Long term, Valdez appears to be better suited for relief work as his fastball velocity is still stuck in the high-80s and his secondary offerings don't generate strikeouts either. On the positive side, he's able to generate plenty of outs on the ground and has shown improvement his second season at previous levels. The Pirates will attempt to mold his skill set into something reliable during spring training after he was sent to Pittsburgh for left-handed starter Zach Duke.
Valdez made 18 starts at Triple-A Reno before getting shut down with a case of dead arm in July. He resurfaced in the Arizona Fall League, but had poor results as a reliever there with a 10.50 ERA in nine appearances and his fastball velocity was still hovering in the 85-87 mph range, so there could still be an underlying injury that is limiting his effectiveness.. The biggest issues for Valdez are home runs and left-handed hitters, while the answer may be a permanent shift into a relief role. Depending on his health and the outcome of the team's battle for bullpen jobs during spring training, he may have to return to Reno and try to right the ship there.
Valdez made 15 starts at High-A Visalia before getting promoted to Double-A Mobile. He's actually improved his strikeout rate consistently at each of his three minor league stops, while maintaining good command in the process (combined 140:39 K:BB ratio, 160.1 innings pitched in 2008) and doing an excellent job keeping the ball in the yard, surrending just seven home runs last season. Featuring a low-90s fastball with some movement, a good changeup and a breaking ball he commands on both sides of the strike zone, Valdez is more effective because of his command and simply understanding how to pitch than because of his arsenal. The Arizona system isn't as deep now as it was even a year ago, so we wouldn't be surprised to see Valdez spend a significant portion of 2009 trying his hand in the Pacific Coast League at Triple-A Tucson.
More Fantasy News
Removed from 40-man roster
PLos Angeles Angels  
May 9, 2023
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Called up from Salt Lake
PLos Angeles Angels  
May 8, 2023
The Angels selected Valdez's contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.
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Shifted to minors camp
PLos Angeles Angels  
March 21, 2023
Valdez was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Angels on Tuesday.
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Lands with Angels
PLos Angeles Angels  
December 3, 2022
Valdez signed a minor-league deal with the Angels on Saturday, Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports.
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Chooses free agency
PFree Agent  
October 6, 2022
Valdez elected free agency Thursday, per the MILB transaction report.
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