Scott Kazmir is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams during his career. He was born on January 24, 1984, in Houston, Texas, and was drafted by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2002 MLB draft.
Kazmir made his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004, where he quickly established himself as one of the most promising young pitchers in the league. He was named to the American League All-Star team in 2006 and 2008, and finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 2007.
After spending several seasons with the Devil Rays, Kazmir was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2009. He struggled with injuries during his time with the Angels, and was eventually released in 2011.
Kazmir then signed with the Cleveland Indians, where he had a resurgence in his career. He was named to the All-Star team in 2013, and finished the season with a 10-9 record and a 4.04 ERA.
In 2014, Kazmir was traded to the Oakland Athletics, where he continued to pitch well. He finished the season with a 15-9 record and a 3.55 ERA, and helped lead the Athletics to the playoffs.
Kazmir then signed with the Houston Astros in 2015, but struggled with injuries and was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016. He had a solid season with the Dodgers, finishing with a 10-6 record and a 4.56 ERA.
After the 2016 season, Kazmir was plagued by injuries and did not pitch in the majors again until 2021, when he signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. He made several appearances for the Giants' Triple-A affiliate, but did not make it back to the majors.
Overall, Kazmir had a successful career in the majors, finishing with a 108-96 record and a 4.01 ERA. He was known for his fastball and slider, and was considered one of the top left-handed pitchers in the league during his prime.
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