SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers have announced that the team has signed right-handed pitchers Sergio Morillo and Ángel Nesbitt for the 2024 season. The addition of the duo gives the Explorers 22 players under contract for the upcoming season.Sergio Morillo joins the Explorers pitching staff after spending parts of the last seven years with the Cleveland Guardians organization. In 2023, he went 3-4 at High-A Lake County, making 33 appearances out of the bullpen and pitching in 48.2 innings. Morillo would strikeout 53 while giving up 39 runs on 41 hits with a 7.21 ERA.
Morillo started the 2022 season on the Lake County roster but would be sent to the Arizona Complex League for a rehab assignment. While in the desert, he went 2-0 in 5.2 innings in four games, including one start. They righty would strikeout six and give up one earned run on three hits. He would return to full-season ball on July 8 and was assigned to A-level Lynchburg. Morillo picked up his first career save while going 0-1 with a 5.82 ERA in 14 games all in relief. In 21.2 he gave up 23 hits and yielded 14 earned runs with 39 strikeouts and a 1.754 WHIP.
In 2021 Morillo spent the entire season with Lynchburg, making six starts while covering 14.1 innings with 16 strikeouts. He would finish with an 11.30 ERA, surrendering 18 hits and 18 earned runs. Morillo did not pitch in 2020 with the cancellation of the season, and he would miss all the 2019 season for Cleveland. Prior to that gap, he would split the 2018 season with the DSL Indians and the DSL Indians/Brewers co-op team. With the Indians, Morillo would go 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in six games while making four starts. He would strikeout 13 in 16 innings with six earned runs allowed. With the co-op club, he pitched in two more games, making a pair of starts and not giving up a run in six innings. He would add nine strikeouts to his stat sheet for 2018.
Morillo was signed by Cleveland as a free agent on June 13, 2017, and he would make his pro debut six days later for the Cleveland organization. In his first season he would open at rookie level in the Dominican Summer League. In 9.1 innings, making five relief appearances and one start, he allowed 10 hits and surrendered six earned runs while striking out seven. He would go 0-3 on the bump for a 5.79 ER before being sent to the Indians/Brewers co-op team in the DSL. There he would pitch in one game with seven earned runs in a third of an inning. Morillo, 24, was born in La Vega, Dominican Republic.
Ángel Nesbitt comes to Sioux City with 12 seasons of professional baseball experience, including part of the 2015 season where he spent time in the Major Leagues with the Detroit Tigers. Nesbitt was signed by the Tigers as a non-drafted free agent on April 24, 2009 and made his professional debut with the VSL Tigers. Nesbitt last pitched in 2020-2021 in his native Venezuela for Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League. He would pitch in two games, totaling one inning of scoreless relief. Nesbitt was signed by Lexington in the Atlantic League for 2022 but did not pitch for the team. In 2019 he pitched in 3.1 innings with Puebla in the AAA Mexican League. Nesbitt gave up six earned runs on six hits for a 16.20 ERA in four relief outings before being released May 12.
In 2018 Nesbitt signed on June 29 with Sugarland of the Atlantic League, but he would not pitch during the season and would eventually be released on August 10. In 2017, he would end his run with the Detroit Tigers organization. Detroit would outright Nesbitt off the Major League roster, but he would stay with the organization and spend time with both AAA Toledo and AA Erie. He also mixed in a stop on a rehabilitation assignment at rookie-level GCL. In seven games at AAA Toledo, Nesbitt pitched in seven games of relief over 8.1 innings with eight strikeouts. He gave up six earned runs on seven hits posting a 1-1 record with a 6.08 ERA. At AA Erie he pitched in two games and two innings with three strikeouts and with a pair of earned runs on five hits with a 9.00 ERA. Nesbitt worked three innings at rookie-level GCL, giving up one earned run.
The 2016 season saw Nesbitt make three stops in the Detroit organization. He would enter Major League Spring training in the bullpen mix for the big club but would be forced to open the season at High A Lakeland on a rehab stint due to an ankle injury. Nesbitt made three appearances in three spot starts covering 3.2 innings. He would allow one earned run and a pair of hits while adding five strikeouts. After his rehab assignment, the Tigers would send Nesbitt to AAA Toledo where he would appear in 28 games out of the pen. He pitched in 31.2 innings with 24 strikeouts going 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA and a 1.958 WHIP. During July he would bookend his time at AAA with an 11-game stay with AA Erie. Nesbitt pitched in 12.1 innings all in relief with 13 strikeouts, a 1-1 record with a 3.65 ERA.
Nesbitt split time in Detroit and AAA Toledo in 2015, making the Major League club out of spring training. He compiled a 1-1 record with a 5.40 ERA (21.2IP/13ER) and 14 strikeouts over 24 appearances with the Tigers in his Major League stay. Nesbitt made his major league debut on April 8 vs. Minnesota, retiring the only batter he faced out of the pen for the Tigers. Nesbitt got off to a solid start, allowing just three earned runs in his first 11 appearances with the Tigers, good for a 2.38 ERA, while holding opponents to a .171 average against him during that span. Nesbitt recorded his first major-league win on May 12 vs. Minnesota, throwing one scoreless inning with one hit and one strikeout. He would notch his first strikeout of his Major League career on April 12 at Cleveland. Nesbitt would be optioned to AAA Toledo on June 13 where he had a 1-5 record with a 6.25 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 27 outings with Toledo.
In 2014 Nesbitt spent time between High A Lakeland and AA Erie, appearing in 48 games for the season. He would compile a 2-0 record with 14 saves with a 0.79 ERA for Lakeland. He would toss 34.1 innings, giving up just three earned runs while adding 36 strikeouts in 24 games. Nesbitt would be named to the Florida State League’s mid and postseason All-star squads and was honored as a MiLB.com organization All-star following the season. Nesbitt would convert 13 straight save opportunities from May 5 – June 12 with Lakeland and did not allow a run in 15 straight outings from May 8-June 12 over a 17.1 innings span. He would earn a promotion to AA Erie on June 19 where he would go 1-0 with six saves with a 2.23 ERA. Nesbitt pitched in 32.1 innings, surrendering eight earned runs with 36 strikeouts in 24 games at Erie. While with Erie, he limited opponents to a .177 batting average against when on the mound.
Nesbitt spent 2013 at Low A West Michigan, posting a 3-4 record with a 3.22 ERA in 67 innings. He would strike out 54 while allowing 24 earned runs on 60 hits adding a 1.209 WHIP. In 2012, he played 20 games in short-season A Connecticut. He went 4-3 with a 4.71 ERA with 23 strikeouts in the New York-Penn League.
In 2011, Nesbitt spent the majority of the season with the VSL Tigers, appearing in 20 games. He would convert all seven of his save opportunities with the Tigers and would finish tied for fourth in the Venezuelan summer League in saves. Nesbitt posted a 1-1 record with a 0.42 ERA, allowing just one earned run in 21.2 innings. He added 16 strikeouts in 13 games out of the bullpen and would add another five games with the DSL Tigers. In the DSL he had a 1-0 record with one save and worked six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.
In his second pro season in 2010, Nesbitt was named the Venezuelan summer League Pitcher of the Year. He compiled a 1-2 record with four saves and a 1.34 ERA in 33.2 innings. Nesbitt struck out 19 in 20 games and limited opponents to a .217 batting average. In 2009 he pitched in 16.2 innings over 13 games with a 16.74 ERA out of the pen in his rookie season. Nesbitt hails from Aragua, Venezuela and attended U.E. Hilario Cabrera Diaz School in his native country. He also has parts of seven seasons of winter ball experience in Venezuela. He has pitched in 73.1 innings in the VWL with a career ERA of 3.56. For his career overall, Nesbitt is 19-24 over 12 seasons with 475.2 innings with 374 strikeouts and a 4.16 ERA.
The X’s now have 13 pitchers and 9 position players signed for the 2024 season.
2024 Players signed:
RHP Sergio Morillo
OF Daniel Montano
RHP Oswald Medina
RHP Nico O’Donnell
RHP Jasseel De La Cruz
LHP Javier Reynoso
RHP Santiago Flores
INF/OF Nick Shumpert
INF Delvin Zinn
LHP Jared Wetherbee
RHP Pedro Gonzalez
INF/OF Brennen Dorighi
RHP Heitor Tokar
RHP Braunny Munoz
RHP Kyle Bloor
C Jake Ortega
C Wilfredo Gimenez
OF Scott Ota
INF Daniel Lingua,
INF Daniel Pérez
RHP John Sheaks
The Explorers are set to open their 31st season in the Siouxland at home Friday night, May 10th at 7:05 p.m. against the Kansas City Monarchs. Ticket packages for the 2024 season are on-sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10, 15 and 25 game Flex Packs. More information is available by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Stay tuned to the Explorers social media channels and the club’s website xsbaseball.com for off-season news and updates.
