Merkin R. Valdéz Mola (born November 10, 1981) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Valdez graduated from Escuela Rural Palenque High School in his native Dominican Republic.
| Merkin Valdez | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: November 10, 1981 San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 1, 2004, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 25, 2011, for the Texas Rangers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 3–1 |
| Earned run average | 5.57 |
| Strikeouts | 59 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Career
editAtlanta Braves
editValdez was signed by the Atlanta Braves as an amateur free agent in 1999. He played with the Braves Dominican League team in 2000 and 2001 and the Gulf Coast Braves in 2002.
San Francisco Giants
editHe was traded by the Braves with Damian Moss to the San Francisco Giants for Russ Ortiz on December 17, 2002. He was named San Francisco's Minor League Player of the Year and selected as a Low A All-Star in 2003 when he went 9–5 with a 2.25 ERA for the Hagerstown Suns in the South Atlantic League. In 2004, Valdez pitched for Single-A San Jose Giants, Double-A Norwich Navigators, Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, and made his Major League debut on August 1, 2004, against the St. Louis Cardinals. He appeared in 2 games for the Giants, working 1.2 innings for a 27.00 ERA. Valdez was selected to the World squad for the All-Star Futures Game for 3 consecutive years (2003–05), held in conjunction with MLB All-Star festivities.
He spent all of 2005 in Norwich, and all of 2006 in Fresno, until injuring his arm. He missed the entire 2007 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on September 27, 2006.
Valdez returned to the Giants to appear in 17 games in 2007 and 48 games in 2009.
He was designated for assignment on January 14, 2010, by the Giants to make room on the 40 man roster for Aubrey Huff.
Toronto Blue Jays
editOn January 20, 2010, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations.[1] He appeared in two games with the Blue Jays during the season, spending most of the season with the Las Vegas 51s. He became a free agent following the season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
editOn February 2, 2011, he was signed to a minor league contract by the Los Angeles Dodgers.[2] The Dodgers assigned him to the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes. He opted out of his contract on July 18 and became a free agent. He had appeared in 38 games with the Isotopes with a 4–2 record, 3.58 ERA and 5 saves.
Texas Rangers
editOn July 24, 2011, Valdez signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He was assigned to the Triple-A Round Rock Express.[3] He had his contract selected on September 1, he cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A and elected free agency on November 4.[4]
Oakland Athletics
editOn December 22, 2011, Valdez signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics. He was granted free agency on November 3, 2012.[5]
Personal life
editWhen Valdez was first traded to the Giants, he went by the name Manny Mateo. While in his first year with the organization, however, his real name and real age (nine months older than he previously claimed) were revealed.
Valdez is single and has a son, Merkin Hanier, born August 11, 2006.
References
edit- ^ Bastian, Jordan. Jays acquire Valdez from Giants, MLB.com. Published January 20, 2010. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
- ^ Merkin 9 to 5: Valdez to toil in Dodger minor leagues
- ^ Links, Zach (July 24, 2011). "Rangers Notes: Valdez, Mendez, Pinto". MLBTradeRumors.com. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
- ^ "Merkin Valdez Stats".
- ^ "Merkin Valdez Stats".
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)