Willis Otáñez

Who is Willis Otáñez?

Willis Alexander Otáñez is a former infielder in Major League Baseball. He currently plays for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Otáñez was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1990. He played in the Dodgers farm system through the 1995 season, then was traded along with Miguel Cairo to the Seattle Mariners for Mike Blowers. He lasted just a couple months with Seattle before being placed on waivers and claimed by the Baltimore Orioles.

Otáñez made his Major League Baseball debut with the Baltimore Orioles on August 25, 1998. He played the remainder of 1998 and part of 1999 with the Orioles before being claimed on waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2000, he returned to the minor leagues for the Blue Jays.

Otáñez went on to play in the Atlanta Braves organization in 2001, then played for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 2002. After starting 2003 with the Bluefish, he returned to the Orioles system to finish the season. After spending another full season at Bridgeport in 2004, he has split each subsequent season between various teams in the Mexican League and the Atlantic League. He signed with the Pericos for the 2009 season.