VALENZUELA TRADED AGAIN, THIS TIME TO OAXACA

You can’t blame Sergio Valenzuela if he’s hesitant to sign a long-term lease on an apartment these days. The ill-fated pitcher has been traded for the second time since the end of the 2009 Mexican League season, this time to the Oaxaca Guerreros.

Valenzuela’s odyssey began when he was initially dealt in the offseason by the Monclova Acereros to Quintana Roo. Then, on January 25, the Tigres shipped Valenzuela to Oaxaca in exchange for young catcher Jose Francisco Cordova.

The 25-year-old righty was 3-1 with a 3.11 ERA for Monclova last summer, but his season was most notable for his 50-game suspension handed down by the Mexican League after testing positive for amphetamine use. A former Atlanta Braves farmhand, Valenzuela has spent the winter pitching for Mazatlan, going 4-4 with a 4.65 ERA over the regular season and is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in eight relief appearances for the Venados in the playoffs.