Scott Kazmir, Starting Pitcher

Date of Birth: 1/24/1984
Birthplace: Houston, Texas

Scott Kazmir, starting pitcher, was a star pitcher and football player in high school. The New York Mets drafted him in 2002 but he only played in their minor league system before they traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2004. That season, he played in 8 games with the Rays.

In 2002, his first full season as a starting pitcher with the Rays, Kazmir pitched 186.0 innings in 32 games. He had a 10-9 win-loss record with a 3.77 ERA. The following season, he finished with a career low ERA of 3.24.

Kazmir's best season was 2007 when he had career highs in games played (34), innings pitched (206.2), wins (13 to 9 losses), and strikeouts (239 to 89 walks). The following year, he signed a four-year contract extension with the Rays.

After 20 games with a 5.92 ERA in 2009, the Rays traded Kazmir to the Los Angeles Angels. He stayed with the Angels until June, 2011, when they released him. He pitched in an independent league and in Puerto Rico in 2012.

In December, 2012, Kazmir signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians. He made the starting rotation in 2013 after Spring training. He finished the 2013 season with a 10-9 record and a 4.04 ERA in 29 games.

In December, 2013, Kazmir signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Oakland Athletics. He finished the 2014 season with a career high 15 wins (to 9 losses), 164 strikeouts to 50 walks, and a 3.55 ERA in 190.1 innings in 32 games.

Kazmir was traded to the Houston Astros on July 23, 2015. He finished the 2015 season with a 7-11 record, 155 strikeouts to 59 walks, and a career low ERA of 3.10 in 18 games with the Athletics and 13 games with the Astros. He pitched 5.1 innings in one postseason game and he gave up 5 hits, including a home run, and 3 runs.

On December 30, 2015, Kazmir signed a three-year, $48 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished the 2016 season with a 4.56 ERA, 10 wins to 6 losses, and 134 strikeouts to 52 walks in 136.1 innings in 26 games. He didn't pitch in the postseason.

Kazmir spent the entire 2017 season on the DL. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves on December 16, 2017. The Braves released him on March 24, 2018. He didn't play professional baseball in 2018 and 2019.

Kazmir played in an independent league in 2020.

Kazmir signed with the San Francisco Giants on February 26, 2021. He played in just 5 games with the Giants in 2021, and he had a 6.35 ERA in 11.1 innings. He also pitched 52.2 innings in 13 games in the minors. He played on the U.S. Olympics team in 2021.

Kazmir became a free agent on November 3, 2021.

Career pitching statistics for Kazmir through 2021 include:

• 303 games played
• 1,701.0 innings pitched
• 108-97 win-loss record
• 1,618 strikeouts to 687 walks
• 4.02 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Scott Kazmir
ESPN - Scott Kazmir