Joey Cora to Become Third-Base Coach for New York Mets

Posted on January 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Joey Cora has Mets his match…

The New York Mets are on the verge of hiring the 56-year-old Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball player, who had an 11-year career in the MLB, as their new third-base coach, ESPN reports, confirming a report by the New York Post.

Cora, the older brother of Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, spent five years as third-base coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates before being let go at the end of the 2021 season.

In New York, he’ll become the first coach hired under Buck Showalter, who took over as the team’s manager less than three weeks ago.

The Mets retained Jeremy Hefner as their pitching coach but are still in the process of filling vacancies at bench coach, hitting coach and first-base coach, among others.

Cora was a major league middle infielder from 1987 to 1998, making an MLB All-Star team late in his career, then transitioned into coaching shortly thereafter. Cora began as a manager in the Mets’ minor league system and later spent eight years with the Chicago White Sox under Ozzie Guillen, winning a World Series as the team’s third-base coach in 2005. Cora was also Guillen’s bench coach with the Miami Marlins in 2012 and has often interviewed for managerial jobs throughout his post-playing career.

Cora will now replace Gary DiScarcina, who was let go amid the shake-up that followed the firing of former Mets manager Luis Rojas. Rojas is now the New York Yankees‘ third-base coach, while DiSarcina has the same position with the Washington Nationals.

Roberto Perez Agrees to One-Year, $5 Million Deal with Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Life’s the Pitts(burgh) for Roberto Perez.

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher and the Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a one-year contract, according to ESPN sources.

The deal, which is contingent upon Perez passing a physical, is worth $5 million, according to confirmed multiple reports.

Pérez won Gold Gloves in 2019 and 2020 with Cleveland Guardians but struggled at the plate throughout his career and hit just .149 with seven home runs and 17 RBI in 44 games in 2021. The Guardians declined his $7 million option for 2022.

Pérez takes over for Jacob Stallings, a Gold Glove winner in 2021 who was traded to the Miami Marlins on Monday for reliever Zach Thompson and a pair of prospects.

Pérez is a year older and considerably more expensive than Stallings, but the Pirates were able to flip Stallings – who is under team control through 2024 – for minor leaguers, the main focus of general manager Ben Cherington‘s franchise-wide reboot.

The trade left Pittsburgh, temporarily at least, without a catcher on the major league roster after Michael Pérez was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis last week.

Roberto Pérez will take over as the primary receiver for a pitching staff in flux. The Pirates used 17 different starters in 2021 and the rotation is a bit of a jumble, though Pittsburgh did sign veteran left-handed pitcher José Quintana on Monday to a one-year deal worth $2 million.

Albert Pujols to Play in Dominican Professional Baseball League This Winter

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Albert Pujols is heading south for the winter…

The 31-year-old Dominican professional baseball and Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman is ready to fulfill a promise of playing in the Dominican Professional Baseball League this winter, while reiterating his interest in playing in the majors until “I feel I can’t play anymore.”

Pujols, who was officially introduced late last week as the newest player on the Leones del Escogido, will see action for the first time in the Dominican Republic.

“I made a promise,” Pujols said. “I said I was going to play here before I retire. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to retire yet. My time to retire hasn’t arrived yet. Why do I have to retire because someone tells me to? I’m going to do it on my terms and when I feel I can’t play anymore.”

Pujols played 109 games in his 21st season in the majors, which ended when the Atlanta Braves beat the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. He said he has a “game plan” in mind for the number of games that he will be playing in the Dominican league.

“I have an agreement with the team board. I have a family, commitments,” Pujols said. “I will play the games that my body allows me, but I will be helping the team in whatever it needs.”

Pujols added: “When Albert Pujols gets tired of playing baseball, that’s it. I’m not going to go out there and embarrass myself. I’ve trained really hard and worked on my body to be able to have a good career. … I know what I can do.”

The Santo Domingo native, who turns 42 in January, was drafted in 2002 by the Gigantes del Cibao in the LIDOM, but he never played winter baseball in the Dominican Republic, where the season ends in January.

“Since I was a child I always wanted to play at the Quisqueya Stadium. It is a dream come true,” Pujols said.

Pujols was greeted by his teammates and executives at the Leones Stadium when he arrived for his presentation and first practice with the team.

“Bringing Pujols to the local ball is an organization-wide effort for the good of our baseball and shows everyone’s commitment in this centennial year of the team,” Leones general manager Jose Gomez Frias said in a statement.

Pujols will wear the No. 5, which is retired by the team in honor of Leones legend Junior Noboa, but Noboa will allow Pujols to wear it. Noboa, who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians, among other MLB teams, is currently the baseball commissioner for the Dominican Republic.

A 10-time MLB All-Star, Pujols’ 679 career home runs are fifth-most all-time and most among active players. He won World Series championships with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006 and 2011.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Leads Atlanta Braves to Historic Homer-Heavy Win Against Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s one for the history books for Ronald Acuna Jr. and his Atlanta Braves teammates…

The 23-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder hit a grand slam in the second inning off Tyler Anderson, pinch hitter Ehire Adrianza added another slam in the eighth against position player Wilmer Difo and the Braves homered seven times in a 20-1 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.

Austin Riley homered twice for his first multi-homer game, and Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna and Dansby Swanson also went deep for the Braves, who became the first team in major league history to have seven or more homers in a game that included two slams, according to STATS.

This was the sixth seven-homer game in Braves history, and the 20 runs were the most a team has scored in a game this season.

“It was awesome,” Riley said. “Just seemed like everything clicked offensively. I think it really goes to show what this team is capable of doing. I know things might not seem like they’re clicking right now on a daily basis, but it’s there, and it’s a matter of time.”

Acuna had five RBIs and gave Atlanta a 5-0 lead with his 14th homer, which tied him with the Los Angeles Angels‘ Shohei Ohtani for the major league lead. Acuna’s first slam came against Pittsburgh’s Alex McRae on June 10, 2019.

Difo, a 29-year-old middle infielder in his seventh major league season, relieved to start the bottom of the eighth with the Pirates trailing 12-0.

Pitching to catcher Jacob Stallings, Difo threw at up to 88 mph, and Adrianza homered on a first-pitch 80 mph offering. Difo allowed three walks and six hits in his one inning, giving up run-scoring singles to Kevan Smith and Guillermo Heredia, Ozuna’s RBI double and Riley’s sacrifice fly. Difo left with a 72.00 career ERA.

“I think Stallings summed it up best,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said with a laugh. “Difo didn’t have his best stuff tonight, and they capitalized on it.”

Albies and Riley homered back-to-back in the fifth for a 9-0 lead, and Riley and Swanson hit consecutive homers in the seventh against Chasen Shreve.

“We’ve been struggling to score runs and get hits, so that was good to see,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “There were some good at-bats, going the other way, it was a good night. And the way Ian backed up his last start with how he threw tonight was really good.”

Tyler Anderson (3-4) gave up nine runs, 10 hits — seven for extra bases — and two walks in five innings. The Pirates had won five of his previous six starts.

Pittsburgh tied a 20-1 loss to Brooklyn on August 1, 1890, and a 25-6 loss to Brooklyn on May 20, 1896, for its third-largest margin of defeat, behind a 27-5 loss at Cincinnati on September 12, 1883, and a 20-0 loss to Milwaukee on April 22, 2010.

Shelton said it will be easy to move on from such a lopsided loss.

“It’s actually easier to move on from a game like this because the games that are 4-1, 4-3, there’s situations you look back and think this couldn’t have been different,” he said. “Tonight we just got beat. You just move on from it and come back tomorrow.”

Jesse Chavez Signs Minor League Deal with the Los Angeles Angels

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse Chavez is springing into action…

The 37-year-old Latino veteran right-hander has re-signed with the Los Angeles Angels on a minor league deal.

Chavez will join the Angels’ spring training camp in Tempe, Arizona, after he clears their intake protocols, according to the team.

Chavez appeared in 38 games for the Angels in 2017, making 21 starts. He left for the Texas Rangers as a free agent after one season, and he excelled after being traded in July 2018 to the Chicago Cubs, where he was managed by current Angels skipper Joe Maddon.

Chavez spent the past two seasons back with the Rangers, struggling last season with a 6.88 ERA in 18 appearances.

With experience as a starter, long reliever and late-inning reliever, Chavez could provide versatility for the Angels, whose long-struggling pitching staff can use all the depth it can get.

Chavez is a native of the Los Angeles area, graduating from high school in Fontana before pitching in junior college in Riverside. He has also pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Francisco Liriano & Toronto Blue Jays Agree to Minor League Deal

Posted on February 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Francisco Liriano is flying high…

The 37-year-old Dominican veteran professional baseball relief pitcher, a left-hander, has agreed to a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays that includes an invitation to spring training.

Liriano didn’t pitch in the MLB during the pandemic-altered 2020 season. He was in camp with the Philadelphia Phillies on a minor league deal when the Phillies released him in July before Opening Day.

He went 5-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 69 relief appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019, striking out 63 and walking 35 in 70 innings.

Liriano, an MLB All-Star as a rookie with the Minnesota Twins in 2006, is 112-114 with a 4.15 ERA in 300 starts and 119 relief outings over 14 major league seasons with the Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pirates, Blue Jays, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers.

He pitched for Toronto in 2016 and 2017 before getting traded to Houston for outfielders Teoscar Hernández and Nori Aoki.

Liriano won a World Series ring with the 2017 Astros, making five short relief appearances during the postseason that year.

Joe Martinez Joins Major League Baseball’s Senior Leadership Team

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Joe Martinez is heading to the big league’s offices…

The 37-year-old Latino former baseball pitcher has been hired Monday by Major League Baseball.

Martinez will step into the role of senior director of on-field strategy.

Martinez will report to vice president of baseball economics Reed MacPhail.

Martinez, who turns 38 on February 26, will coordinate the management of experimental rule and equipment changes, support the competition committee and be a liaison to on-field personnel.

He pitched at Boston College and was 4-3 with a 5.82 ERA in four seasons with San Francisco Giants (2009-10), Pittsburgh Pirates (2010), Arizona Diamondbacks (2012) and Cleveland Indians (2013). He spent five years in mergers and acquisitions group at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Arizona Diamondbacks Trade Starling Marte to the Miami Marlins

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Starling Marte is headed to the Sunshine State…

The 31-year-old Dominican professional baseball player has been traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Miami Marlins, according to ESPN.

In exchange for Marte, an MLB All-Star in 2016, the Marlins will send Caleb Smith, Humberto Mejia and a player to be named later to the Diamondbacks, according to sources.

Meanwhile, the Marlins sent outfielder Jonathan Villar to the Toronto Blue Jays, reports ESPN.

Marte is hitting .311 with 23 runs scored this season. He has a $12.5 million option on his contract for next year.

It has been a tumultuous and difficult year for Marte. His wife, Noelia, died of a heart attack in May.

That followed his trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Diamondbacks in January, after he had spent his entire eight-year career with the Pirates.

Marte has a career .288 batting average with 110 homers, 434 RBIs and 244 steals. He had career highs last season with 23 homers and 82 RBIs.

Marte won Gold Gloves in 2015 and ’16.

He reached the All-Star Game in 2016 but also served an 80-game suspension in 2017 after testing positive for steroids.

Nick Gonzales: The Top Latino Pick in This Year’s MLB Draft

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Life’s the Pitts for Nick Gonzales…

The 21-year-old Latino baseball shortstop and second baseman for the New Mexico State Aggies was the No. 7 pick during the 2020 MLB draft.

Gonzalez, the first Latino pick in this year’s draft, was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“It’s just awesome,” Gonzales said. “I can’t explain it. This is something that I’ve put a lot of work into and I’m super fortunate it came.”

As a freshman at New Mexico State in 2018, Gonzales hit .347/.425/.596 with nine home runs and 36 RBI over 57 games. As a sophomore in 2019, he led the nation with a .432 batting average.He finished the season hitting .432/.532/.773 with 16 home runs and 80 RBI.

After the season, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod League, where was named the MVP of the league.

Gonzales entered his junior year in 2020 as a top prospect for the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.

The 5-foot-11-inch Gonzales, an NCAA batting champion and unanimous All-American, will reportedly earn $5,432,400.

Francisco Liriano Signs Minor League Contract with the Philadelphia Phillies

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Francisco Liriano isn’t leaving The Keystone State…

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed the 36-year-old Dominican professional baseball left-handed pitcher to a minor league contracts with invitations to attend major league spring training.

Liriano was 5-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 69 relief appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirateslast season. Liriano is 112-114 with a 4.15 ERA and has averaged 9.01 strikeouts per nine innings over 419 career games.

During his career, he has played for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, the Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astrosand Detroit Tigers.

Liriano was an MLB All-Star in 2006, and is a two-time winner of the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Pittsburgh Pirates