Rougned Odor Keeps MLB Dream Alive After Rangers, Yankees, Orioles, Padres

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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 21: Rougned Odor #24 of the San Diego Padres walks off the field during a game against the Boston Red Sox at PETCO Park on May 21, 2023 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

There was a time when Rougned Odor was one of the most exciting players in Major League Baseball.

Playing with a fascinating blend of swagger and intensity, you never knew what the bearded second baseman was going to do.

He spent most of his MLB career with the Texas Rangers, then had stints with the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres.

These days, Odor is still playing ball — which is always a very fascinating thing to discover when you get caught down a rabbit hole looking at winter league rosters.

Odor hasn’t played in MLB since 2023 with the Padres, but he’s kept playing baseball.

It’s not clear whether he’d want a return to the major leagues, but it’s clear Odor still loves the sport.

Rougned Odor Still Playing Baseball

GettySURPRISE, AZ – MARCH 02: Rougned Odor #12 of the Texas Rangers during the cactus leauge spring training game against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on March 2, 2016 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Odor hasn’t even played in the affiliate-ball minor leagues since that 2023 season.

Instead, he has gotten his fix for four consecutive years in the Venezuelan Winter League.

At least based on his Baseball Reference page, it’s not clear what Odor is doing during the springs and summers. But when the Venezuelan Winter League rolls around, he’s back on the diamond.

This is the second consecutive year in which Odor is playing for Magallanes, a team that is loaded with current and past MLB players like Francisco Alvarez, Luis Torrens, Sandy Leon, Oswaldo Arcia and Jhostynxon Garcia.

Through 11 games this season, Odor is destroying opposing pitching to the tune of a .353 average and 1.138 OPS. He has three doubles and two home runs while driving in nine runs.

Odor has raised his OPS in each of his four seasons in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Rougned Odor MLB Career

GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MN – JULY 03: Rougned Odor #12 of the Baltimore Orioles watches his solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning of the game at Target Field on July 3, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Orioles defeated the Twins 3-1. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Odor was a top-100 prospect as he rose through the Rangers system, and he had MLB seasons of 33, 30 and 30 homers again all while playing for Texas.

He played for the Yankees in 2021 and hit 15 homers in 102 games.

With the Orioles in 2022, Odor had 13 home runs in 135 games.

Odor got 59 games with the Padres in 2023 and hit four home runs with a .203 average. That was it for him in MLB.

He’ll turn 33 in February and may never return stateside for more baseball. He hit 178 home runs during his time in MLB, and now Odor appears content to do his ballplaying back home in Venezuela.