Santiago Espinal | |
---|---|
Cincinnati Reds – No. 4 | |
Infielder | |
Born: Santiago, Dominican Republic | November 13, 1994|
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
July 25, 2020, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
Batting average | .266 |
Home runs | 20 |
Runs batted in | 144 |
Teams | |
| |
Career highlights and awards | |
Santiago Roman Espinal (born November 13,1994) is a Dominican professional baseball infielder for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB draft.
Espinal was born and grew up in the Dominican Republic until age 13,when he moved to the US. [1] He attended Lyman High School in Longwood,Florida for four years. [2] He then moved to New York and graduated through Penn Foster High School. [2] Espinal attended Seminole State College of Florida,and then attended Miami Dade College on a scholarship and played college baseball for them in 2016. [2] [1]
Espinal was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round,298th overall,of the 2016 MLB draft. [3]
Espinal played for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox in 2016,hitting .244/.330/.267 with 10 runs batted in (RBI). He played for the Class-A Greenville Drive in 2017,hitting .280/.334/.358 with four home runs and 46 RBI. [1] Espinal began the 2018 season with the Advanced-A Salem Red Sox.
On June 28,2018,Espinal was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Steve Pearce and cash considerations. [4] [5] Espinal split the remainder 2018 between the Advanced-A Dunedin Blue Jays and the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats,hitting .297/.356/.444 with 10 home runs and 60 RBI between the two teams and Salem. [1] [6] [7] He played for the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League (AFL) following the 2018 season. [8]
Espinal split the 2019 season between New Hampshire and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons,hitting a combined .287/.347/.393 with seven home runs and 71 RBI. [9] [10] [11] Espinal was added to the Blue Jays 40-man roster after the 2019 season. [12] On July 23,2020,he was added to the Blue Jays active roster to begin the 2020 season,which had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [13] On July 25,2020,Espinal made his MLB debut. Three days later,on July 28,Espinal got his first hit in the Major Leagues against the Washington Nationals. Overall with the 2020 Blue Jays,Espinal batted .267 with no home runs and 6 RBIs in 26 games.
On July 3,2021,Espinal hit his first career major league home run,a two-run shot off Tampa Bay Rays reliever Matt Wisler at Sahlen Field in Buffalo. [14]
Overall in 2021,Espinal batted .311/.376/.405 with 2 home runs,17 RBIs and 6 stolen bases in 92 games. He led all qualifying AL third basemen with 16 total zone runs and a 3.13 range factor. [15]
Espinal began the 2022 season expected to platoon at second base with Cavan Biggio but by mid-May was receiving acclaim for his impressive offensive numbers and game-changing defence while Biggio was optioned to the Triple A Buffalo Bisons after going 1-for-23 in 13 games with Toronto. [16] [17] Blue Jays' General Manager Ross Atkins declared Espinal "an everyday player" after he was one of only five Blue Jays' players to appear in all of Toronto's first 17 games. [18] Espinal was selected for the 2022 All-Star Game as a replacement for Jose Altuve. [19]
On January 13,2023,Espinal signed a one-year,$2.1 million contract with the Blue Jays,avoiding salary arbitration. [20] In 93 games for the Blue Jays,he batted .248/.310/.335 with two home runs and 25 RBI. [21]
On March 20,2024,the Blue Jays traded Espinal to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for right-handed pitcher Chris McElvain. [22]
JoséAntonio Bautista Santos,nicknamed "Joey Bats",is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder and third baseman who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB),primarily for the Toronto Blue Jays. Bautista also played for Baltimore Orioles,Tampa Bay Devil Rays,Kansas City Royals,Pittsburgh Pirates,Atlanta Braves,New York Mets,and Philadelphia Phillies.
Christopher Michael Woodward is an American former professional baseball utility player,coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays,New York Mets,Atlanta Braves,Seattle Mariners,and Boston Red Sox,from 1999 through 2012. He then served as a coach for the Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers,from 2014 through 2018 and managed the Texas Rangers from 2019 to 2022. He is currently a special assistant and roving instructor for the Dodgers.
Adam Alan Lind is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays,Milwaukee Brewers,Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals. Lind has also appeared as a designated hitter and in left field. In 2009,Lind won the Silver Slugger Award and the Edgar Martínez Award.
Steven Wayne Pearce is an American former professional baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates,Baltimore Orioles,Houston Astros,New York Yankees,Tampa Bay Rays,Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox. Pearce is only the second player in MLB history to have played for every team in the American League East,the first being Kelly Johnson. He is also the first and only player to have hit two walk-off grand slams in the span of a single week.
Brett Russell Lawrie is a Canadian former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays,Oakland Athletics,and Chicago White Sox.
Deven Sommer Marrero is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox,Arizona Diamondbacks,Miami Marlins and New York Mets.
Travis Richard Shaw is an American former professional baseball infielder who played eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for three MLB teams—the Boston Red Sox,Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays—and was nicknamed the Mayor of Ding Dong City. During his professional career,he was listed at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 230 pounds (100 kg);he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. His father,Jeff,is a former two-time All-Star pitcher who played for six major-league teams.
Ryan Matthew Goins is an American former professional baseball second baseman and shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays,Kansas City Royals,and Chicago White Sox. He is the current infield coach for the Los Angeles Angels.
Jonathan Diaz is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox.
Reese Jackson McGuire is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays,Chicago White Sox,and Boston Red Sox.
Lourdes Yunielki Gurriel Castillo Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball left fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays. He also played for Sancti Spíritus and the Industriales of the Cuban National Series before defecting from Cuba.
Daniel Robert Jansen is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays,for whom he made his MLB debut in 2018,and the Boston Red Sox.
Cavan Thomas Biggio is an American professional baseball utility player who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays,Los Angeles Dodgers,and Atlanta Braves. He is the son of former MLB player and Hall of Famer Craig Biggio.
Jordan Groshans is an American professional baseball infielder in the Oakland Athletics organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins. The Toronto Blue Jays selected Groshans in the first round,with the 12th overall selection,in the 2018 MLB draft,and he made his MLB debut in 2022 for the Marlins.
Alek Isaac Manoah is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Blue Jays selected Manoah with the 11th overall pick of the 2019 MLB draft out of West Virginia University,and he made his MLB debut on May 27,2021. Manoah was an All-Star in 2022.
The 2021 Toronto Blue Jays season was the franchise's 45th season in Major League Baseball.
Otto Ariel Lopez is a Dominican-Canadian professional baseball infielder for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 2022 Toronto Blue Jays season was the franchise's 46th season in Major League Baseball,and 31st full season at Rogers Centre.
Gosuke John Katoh is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Vincent James Capra is an American professional baseball infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. He has previously played in MLB for the Brewers,Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates.