Oderman Rocha

ODERMAN ROCHA, RIGHT HANDED PITCHER
Born: November 7, 1992
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 165
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Signed: Int’l Free Agent, 2010
Country: Colombia
Agent:
N/A

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

Rocha has spent three years in the Latin American summer leagues since signing, improving each year.  He’s been a strong groundball pitcher and had a good K rate in 2012.

2010
VSL:  0-0-0, 6.30 ERA, 2.30 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 9.0 BB/9, 7.2 K/9

Rocha mostly struggled in very brief pro debut.

2011
VSL:  4-2-0, 3.29 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 54.2 IP, 4.3 BB/9, 8.6 K/9

Rocha returned to the VSL, pitching mainly as a starter.  He was much more effective, although he had some control problems.

2012
DSL:  6-1-0, 1.81 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 49.2 IP, 3.1 BB/9, 9.6 K/9

Having eliminated their VSL affiliate, the Pirates sent Rocha to the DSL.  He pitched mainly in relief, although it didn’t cut into his innings total much.  Despite the tougher league, he improved, with a much lower walk rate and more than a strikeout per inning.  His ratio of groundouts to air outs was over two and a half to one.

2013
R:  1-0-0, 2.18 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 20.2 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 7.0 K/9
A-:  0-0-0, 6.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 7.1 IP, 8.6 BB/9, 12.3 K/9
A+:  0-0-2 4.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 6.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 6.0 K/9

Rocha opened the season in the GCL.  After pitching there for three weeks, he went up to Bradenton as a fill-in and recorded three-inning saves in each of his two games.  Rocha spent the rest of the summer alternating between the GCL and Jamestown.  He had control problems at Jamestown, but otherwise pitched respectably.  When the Pirates move a young pitcher around a lot to fill in at different levels, it’s usually an indication that they view him as an organizational pitcher.

2014
R+:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 12.0 K/9
A-:  1-2-1, 2.79 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 9.2 IP, 1.9 BB/9, 4.7 K/9
A+:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 2.1 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

Rocha filled in early in the season for one appearance at Bradenton, then went to Jamestown when the NYPL season started and pitched in relief.  He missed most of July due to injury, then returned for two games in August, before being sent down to Bristol for his last two outings of the season.  He didn’t pitch enough to reach any conclusions.

2015
R:  1-1-1, 2.08 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 17.1 IP, 3.1 BB/9, 6.8 K/9
A+:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 3.4 K/9

Rocha evidently was hurt at the start of the season, as he didn’t appear anywhere until July 10.  He made two appearances in the GCL, went up to Bradenton for one game, then went back to the GCL until his last outing of the season, which was back at Bradenton.  He pitched only sporadically, another indication that he was probably coming back from some sort of injury.

Rocha has been eligible for the Rule 5 draft since 2014, but it appears injuries have hampered him the last two years.  If he’s back in 2016, it should be somewhere in class A.

CONTRACT INFORMATION
2016: Minor league contract
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: N/A
MiLB Debut: 2010
MLB Debut: N/A
MiLB FA Eligible: 2016
MLB FA Eligible: N/A
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Added to 40-Man: N/A
Options Remaining: 3
MLB Service Time: 0.000
TRANSACTIONS
April 24, 2010: Signed as an international free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.