Kevin Gadea

Kevin Joel Gadea Ortega

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 5", Weight 240 lb.

• Born December 6, 1994 in Estelí, Estelí Nicaragua

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Biographical Information

Kevin Gadea has pitched as high as AAA and has been on the Nicaraguan national team.

Gadea was signed by Seattle Mariners scouts Nemesio Porras and Luis Molina in July 2012. He was 9-1 with a 2.65 ERA for the 2013 VSL Mariners for an excellent pro debut. He tied Jesus Chavez for the most wins in the Venezuelan Summer League and was 5th in ERA (between Pablo Lopez and Anthony Castro). He allowed 13 hits, 9 walks and 10 runs (8 earned) in 9 1/3 IP for the 2014 AZL Mariners.

In 2015, he bounced back with the DSL Mariners 2 at 4-4, 2.25. He tied fellow Nicaraguan Leo Crawford for 10th in the Dominican Summer League in strikeouts at 74. In the 2016 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, he allowed four runs (one earned) in two innings. That summer, he pitched for the AZL Mariners (1-1, Sv, 2.95 in 5 G, 23 K in 18 1/3 IP) and Clinton Lumber Kings (3-0, Sv, 2.15, 72 K, 11 BB in 50 1/3 IP). He was 2-2 with a 2.10 ERA for the 2016-2017 Tigres de Aragua. Had he qualified, he would have been third in the Venezuelan Winter League in ERA behind William Cuevas and Raúl Rivero.

The Tampa Bay Rays took him with the 4th pick of the 2016 Rule V Draft, right after Allen Córdoba. He was the second hurler taken that year, after Miguel Diaz. He missed the next three seasons due to elbow injuries, though. He was next in action in the 2020 Americas Olympic Qualifier (held in 2021), pitching for Nicaragua. He made one appearance, relieving Dilmer Mejía in the 2nd against Puerto Rico with a 4-2 deficit, one on and one out. He allowed a Noel Cuevas single and an error on the play made it 5-2, then he walked Kevin Luciano and Rey Navarro but escaped further harm by retiring Edwin Gómez. In the bottom of the third, he struck out Jesmuel Valentín and Michael Arroyo. He hit Luis Mateo and allowed an Ozzie Martínez single but struck out Iván DeJesús Jr. to end the inning. In the 4th, Cuevas singled and Luciano walked but Norman St. Clair escaped the jam. He had allowed six baserunners in 1 1/3 IP but no runs.

He signed with the New York Yankees after that and did well for the Somerset Patriots (2-1, Sv, 2.97, 53 K in 36 1/3 IP) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (1 UER in 5 IP). In the 2021-2022 winter, he slipped back with the Leones del Caracas (0-1, 13 R, 12 ER in 11 2/3 IP). He signed with the New York Mets for 2022 but was 0-2 with a 11.74 ERA and 2.94 WHIP in 11 games for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies for a big drop-off from '21 and was released.