he has a better arm than Moseley (who’s best suited for long relief anyway) and seems to be a bit more polished than Adenhart.
If all goes well, they could have to choose between Adenhart and Ortega… which is a good problem to have

wasn’t there a commercial in the late70’s early 80’s that had a slogan: “SI! ORTEGA”

From BA:

Background: Ortega won just 18 games in his first four pro seasons before earning 14 victories in 2008, when the Angels named him their minor league pitcher of the year. He cemented his breakthrough season by winning five of his six Triple-A starts.

Strengths: Ortega took off once he started doing a better job of pitching down in the zone and generating more groundouts. His best pitch is his fastball, which ranges from 90-95 mph. He has enhanced his fastball with improved feel for his changeup. His curveball is an average pitch. He does a good job of throwing strikes and keeping his pitch counts down, which allowed him to work at least six innings in 20 of his 28 starts last season.

Weaknesses: Ortega doesn’t have an out pitch, so he has to be pinpoint with his location. He doesn’t beat himself with walks but he’s hittable because he’s always around the zone. Like many young pitchers, he can do a better job of repeating his pitches. He must work on his focus and avoid the mental lapses that plague him at times.

The Future: While he doesn’t have a high ceiling, Ortega could become a No. 4 starter in the majors. If the Angels don’t re-sign Jon Garland or add a veteran to replace him, Ortega will compete for the final spot in the rotation during spring training.

Purchasing a minor league contract pro-rates the pay scale to days spent in the majors. A contract like this one seems to be compensating on a complete season salary, i.e., one day up here means PAYDAY!