Dan Otero the 'glue' in A's bullpen

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Miami --

Oakland has many versatile players, and many great stories. Dan Otero fits both categories, making the right-handed reliever perhaps the ultimate A's player.

Oakland claimed Otero from the Yankees early last season, and since then, he has become a key figure in the bullpen, second only to closer Sean Doolittle, though even Doolittle refers to Otero as the unit's "glue."

"I can't talk enough about Dan Otero," catcher Stephen Vogt said. "He's one of the most valuable relievers in the game. It's amazing what he's doing, at any moment, in any role, and no one outside this clubhouse is aware of it.

"Other teams are like, 'Otero is in the game, who is he?' We know what he's got. We know how valuable he is."

Now, Otero goes to Miami to play professional baseball in his hometown for the first time, and his family, including his beloved 93-year-old grandmother, Dolores, will be there. Dolores, a former math teacher who still can help Otero's brother, Ryan, with difficult equations as he gets his engineering degree at Miami, was the impetus for the Otero family leaving Cuba in 1960 because she didn't like the way the country was heading under Communist rule.

"She's looking forward to talking to Yoenis Céspedes' mom (Estela Milanes) again, because they can talk for innings and innings about Cuba," Otero said. "She still remembers every street, every shop."

Dan Otero is congratulated by catcher Derek Norris after wrapping up his first career save against Boston on June 19. Dan Otero is congratulated by catcher Derek Norris after wrapping up his first career save against Boston on June 19. Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Dan Otero the 'glue' in A's bullpen 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Otero, 29, was overlooked by many teams because he didn't throw in the mid-90s. He has more of a low-90s fastball, with an effective sinker, a decent slider and an OK curveball. What the A's saw, though, was a pitcher who didn't walk many hitters and gave up few home runs. He'd also improved his changeup immensely after being sent down by the Giants in 2012, helped by then-Triple-A Fresno pitching coach Pat Rice.

"He was throwing strikes as well as anyone at that level," said A's assistant general manager David Forst, who was the driving force in acquiring Otero. "He commanded the strike zone. (Scout) John McLaren liked the way he went about things. He had no fear, and we were looking for depth, trying to strike lightning. ... He's been everything we hoped for."

Otero is calm, measured and intelligent, a Duke graduate (history) and baseball player in a family consisting largely of champion Princetonian swimmers. His grandfather, Alberto, played baseball in Cuba, though, and Otero's father, Jorge, grew up obsessed with the sport. Otero credits Jorge with making him throw strikes - when Otero was in Little League, his dad told him to throw nine-pitch innings because if he threw too many pitches, he wouldn't let him stay in the game.

Now, Otero does it all. He leads all major-league relievers with six wins, and through Wednesday, he was tied for first with the Mets' Carlos Torres in relief innings pitched, 46 2/3 ; his teammates say he has the proverbial rubber arm. Otero even earned his first career save this month.

Vogt would like to see more emotion out of Otero; the catcher keeps telling him he'd like to see a fist pump after big outs or at the end of an inning. "He won't, though," Vogt said, "so I'm doing it for him."

Otero's longtime friend Mike Cassel, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., attorney who has known Otero since high school, said he, too, has tried to get Otero to be more demonstrative.

"He is just so chill," Cassel said. "I've been trying to get him to develop some kind of gimmick; look at all the commercials Brian Wilson gets with that beard. Dan says, 'No, my gimmick is I have no personality. I just take care of business.' "

Even as a big-time athlete in high school - Otero was a terrific hitter, could throw a tight spiral and he's a scratch golfer who Cassel says can shoot par using only a 7-iron - Otero was unassuming.

"All of Dan's friends would tell him he'd be a professional baseball player some day, and he's so humble, he'd say, 'Hah, I don't think I will ever make it,' " Cassel said. "Now we're like, 'You're so awesome. We told you!' "

Cassel expects 100 or more friends and family members will support Otero during the three games against the Marlins. Cassel even had T-shirts made up with a cartoon of Otero and "Yo Quiero" on the front and "Otero" on the back.

The Otero fans need to stay in their seats the entire game; they could see their favorite pitcher in just about any situation. Otero is the everything bagel of the bullpen, and unlike most relievers, he's more than fine with a nebulous job description.

"I love it, I absolutely love it," he said. "Every time the phone rings, I think it's for me. I truly, honestly do, from the first inning, second inning on. My heart races every time. You know you can never get comfortable."

"He's the kind of guy every bullpen needs to make it work," Forst said. "He's the whole package with his ability to succeed in any role."