Octavio Eduardo Dotel Diaz (November 25, 1973 – April 8, 2025) was a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for 13 major league teams, the second-most of any player in history. Dotel spent most of his career as a relief pitcher, including several stints as a closer, during which he recorded 109 saves. Dotel's longest tenure with a single team was the five seasons he spent with the Houston Astros. On June 11, 2003, he combined with five other Astros pitchers to throw a no-hitter.
Dotel won the 2011 World Series while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. As a member of the Detroit Tigers in 2012, he set the record for playing with the most major league teams, a record that stood until 2019. In 2013, as a member of the Dominican national team, Dotel won the World Baseball Classic championship; along with fellow Dominicans Robinson Canó and Santiago Casilla, he became one of the few players in history to win both a World Series and a World Baseball Classic. He died in the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse in Santo Domingo.
Dotel graduated from Liceo Cansino Afuera in the Dominican Republic and was signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1993. At the time of his signing Dotel used a false birthdate to pass as 17 years old when he was in fact 19. He played for their minor league affiliate in the Dominican Summer League through 1994 and then was promoted through the Mets' minor league system for the next several seasons. Dotel made his MLB debut on June 26, 1999, for the Mets, taking the loss in a 7–2 defeat to the Atlanta Braves. His first MLB win came July 1, 1999, against the Florida Marlins. He ended the season pitching three innings in relief and as the winning pitcher in the 15-inning Game 5 of the 1999 National League Championship Series against the Braves. The game ended with Robin Ventura's Grand Slam Single.
He was voted NL Player of the Week for the week of July 25, 1999.
On December 23, 1999, the Mets traded Dotel with Roger Cedeño and minor leaguer Kyle Kessel to the Houston Astros for Mike Hampton and Derek Bell.
In 2000, Dotel went 3–7 with 16 saves and a 5.40 ERA in 50 games (16 starts). He began the season as a starter but was converted to a reliever for the Astros; Dotel began to fill in as a closer for an injured Billy Wagner. This season marked the first time in National League history that a pitcher had over 15 starts and 15 saves (the other seasons in MLB history where this feat happened were in 1957, when Ray Narleski started 15 games and had 16 saves with the Cleveland Indians, in 1999, when Tim Wakefield had 17 starts and attained 15 saves for the Boston Red Sox, and in 2004, when Dustin Hermanson started 18 games and converted 17 saves for the San Francisco Giants).
In 2001, Dotel again began the season as a starter but moved into the bullpen as the setup man for Wagner. Dotel had an excellent season in 2002; he led all relievers with 118 strikeouts and helped secure a well-reputed bullpen for the Astros then. By 2003, Dotel and Wagner were joined by future Astros closer Brad Lidge and all three partook in a combined no-hitter against the New York Yankees on June 11, 2003.
After the 2003 season, Wagner was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, and Dotel started the 2004 season as the closer for the Astros.
On June 24, 2004, Dotel was traded to the Oakland Athletics in a three-team trade that sent Carlos Beltrán to the Astros, minor leaguer Mike Wood, Mark Teahen, and John Buck to the Kansas City Royals. Dotel served as the closer for the Athletics and finished the 2004 season with a combined 6–6 record with a 3.69 ERA and a career-high 36 saves (22 for the A's and 14 for the Astros) in 77 relief appearances.
Dotel began 2005 as the closer for the Athletics again, but had a rough start and went on the 60-day disabled list on May 21. It was later announced on June 2 that he would undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his season after just 15 games.
Dotel signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the New York Yankees in December 2005. He missed the first four months of the 2006 season, recovering from his Tommy John surgery. Dotel had a setback after developing tendinitis in his elbow while on a rehab assignment with the Trenton Thunder. This pushed his return into August as he went through another minor league assignment with the Columbus Clippers. Dotel pitched his first game in a Yankees uniform on August 16, coming into the game in the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles, facing two batters with one strikeout and one walk. He finished the season playing in 14 games with no record and an ERA of 10.80.
Dotel became a free agent at the end of the 2006 MLB season. On December 8, 2006, he agreed to a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals for $5 million. Dotel made 24 relief appearances to start the season, going 2–1 with 11 saves and a 3.91 ERA.
On July 31, 2007, the Royals traded Dotel to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitcher Kyle Davies. He made his Braves debut on August 1, throwing a scoreless ninth inning in a 12–3 rout of the Astros. On August 10, Dotel was placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain. He made his return on September 22 escaping a bases-loaded jam which eventually led to a Braves win. He recorded a 4.70 ERA in nine appearances with the Braves and finished the season 2–1 with a 4.11 ERA in 33 combined relief appearances.
On January 21, 2008, Dotel agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal with the Chicago White Sox.
On January 21, 2010, Dotel agreed to a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, plus bonuses for games finished. The deal also included a club option for 2011 for $4.5 million with a $250,000 buyout. Dotel started the year as the Pirates closer and stayed the closer until he was traded. He was 2–2 with 21 saves and a 4.28 ERA in 41 relief appearances with the Pirates.
On July 31, 2010, Dotel was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for James McDonald and Andrew Lambo. He appeared in 19 games with the Dodgers and went 1–1 with one save and a 3.38 ERA.
On September 18, 2010, Dotel was traded to the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later. Dotel was ineligible to play on the postseason roster, but it made no difference as Colorado missed the playoffs. Dotel appeared in eight games with the Rockies, going 0–1 with a 5.06 ERA.
On December 29, 2010, Dotel agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays with a club option for 2012. He earned his 50th career victory while he played for Toronto.