Esteban Loaiza

Esteban Antonio Loaiza Veyna (born December 31, 1971 in Tijuana, Baja California, México) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently signed by the Mexico City Red Devils of the Mexican Summer League.

Early career

A graduate of Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach, California, Loaiza was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an undrafted free agent on March 21, . With the Gulf Coast Pirates in the Rookie leagues he started five games in 1991, finishing with a 5–1 record and a 2.26 ERA. He moved through the Pirates farm system with stops at Augusta (class A - ), Salem (class A - ) and Carolina (class AA - 1993-). He also played for the Mexico City Red Devils of the Mexican Summer League during the 1993 season.

Major Leagues

Loaiza made the jump to the big league club in , making his major league debut on April 29, 1995, for the Pirates against the Philadelphia Phillies. He worked 4 2/3 innings in the game, giving up five hits and one unearned run to get the first major league win of his career. He finished his rookie season with a 8–9 record and a 5.16 ERA in 31 starts.

He began the season back in the minors with the Triple-A Calgary Cannons, but was recalled to the majors on June 7.

The Pirates traded him to the Texas Rangers on July 17, , for Todd Van Poppel and Warren Morris. He spent the next two seasons with Texas, pitching both as a starter and a reliever for the Rangers.

Traded again, to the Toronto Blue Jays by the Rangers on...
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