Jonathan Araúz

Jonathan Araúz
Araúz with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers in 2019
Free agent
Shortstop / Second baseman
Born: (1998-08-03) August 3, 1998 (age 26)
Alanje, Panama
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 24, 2020, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.184
Home runs8
Runs batted in31
Teams

Jonathan Aldair Araúz (ah-rah-OOZ;[1] born August 3, 1998) is a Panamanian professional baseball shortstop and second baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets. Listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg), he throws right-handed and is a switch hitter.

Playing career

Philadelphia Phillies

Araúz signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an international free agent on August 7, 2014.[2] He played for the GCL Phillies in 2015, hitting .254/.309/.370/.679 with 2 home runs and 18 RBI.[3]

Houston Astros

On December 12, 2015, the Phillies traded Araúz and Ken Giles to the Houston Astros in exchange for Brett Oberholtzer, Harold Araúz, Mark Appel, Tom Eshelman, and Vince Velasquez.[4]

Araúz played for the Greeneville Astros in 2016, hitting .249/.323/.338/.661 with 2 home runs and 18 RBI. Araúz was suspended for 50 games at the beginning of the 2017 season, after testing positive for methamphetamine.[5] He split the 2017 season between the Tri City ValleyCats and the Quad Cities River Bandits, hitting a combined .242/.336/.319/.655 with 1 home run and 15 RBI. He split the 2018 season between Ouad Cities and the Buies Creek Astros, hitting a combined .229/.305/.373/.678 with 8 home runs and 47 RBI.[6] Araúz split the 2019 season between the Fayetteville Woodpeckers and the Corpus Christi Hooks, combining to hit .249/.319/.388/.707 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI.[7][8][9]

Boston Red Sox

On December 12, 2019, Araúz was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 2019 Rule 5 draft.[10] On July 24, 2020, he made his MLB debut with the Red Sox in the team's first game of the 2020 season, batting as a pinch hitter against the Baltimore Orioles.[11] He made his first MLB start on July 30, against the New York Mets,[12] and collected his first MLB hit on August 10, against the Tampa Bay Rays.[13] Overall with the 2020 Red Sox, Araúz batted .250 with one home run and nine RBIs in 25 games.[14] After the 2020 season, he played for Panama in the 2021 Caribbean Series, batting .269 in six games.[15]

Araúz began the 2021 season in Triple-A, with the Worcester Red Sox. He was called up to Boston during May,[16] July,[17] and August.[18] On September 10, Araúz was placed on the COVID-related injured list.[19] He was activated on September 23 and optioned to Worcester.[20] Araúz played in a total of 28 games for Boston, batting .185 (12-for-65) with three home runs and eight RBIs.[14] He also appeared in 68 games for Worcester, batting .245 with six home runs and 30 RBIs.[15]

Araúz made Boston's Opening Day roster in 2022, capturing one of the final reserve spots.[21] He was placed on the COVID-related list on April 19.[22] On May 12, he was removed from the COVID-related list and optioned to Worcester.[23] Araúz was recalled by Boston on June 8, when Kiké Hernández was placed on the injured list.[24] Araúz was then designated for assignment by Boston on June 10.[25] In six games for Boston, he was hitless in 10 at bats.[14] He also played in 24 games for Triple-A Worcester, batting .185 with three RBIs and no home runs.[15]

Baltimore Orioles

On June 15, 2022, Araúz was claimed off of waivers by the Baltimore Orioles. He was then assigned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides.[26] He was designated for assignment on September 6, then assigned to Triple-A Norfolk three day later.[27] In nine games with the Orioles, he batted .179 (5-for-28) with one home run and four RBIs.[14] He also played in 11 games for Triple-A Norfolk, batting .250 (10-for-40), and three rehabilitation games in High-A, batting .100 (1-for-10).[15]

New York Mets

On December 7, 2022, the New York Mets selected Araúz in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.[28] In 95 games for the Triple–A Syracuse Mets, he batted .244/.344/.429 with a career–high 14 home runs and 49 RBI. On August 2, 2023, the Mets selected Araúz's contract, adding him to their major league roster.[29] In 27 games for New York, he batted .136/.203/.288 and tied career–highs in home runs (3) and RBI (9). Following the season on October 20, Araúz was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Triple–A Syracuse,[30] but refused the assignment and elected free agency on October 24.[31]

Los Angeles Dodgers

On December 15, 2023, Araúz signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers[32] and he was assigned to the Triple–A Oklahoma City Baseball Club to start the season,[33] where he batted .227 in 60 games.[15] Araúz was released by the Dodgers on July 2, 2024.[34]

International career

Araúz was selected to represent Panama at the 2023 World Baseball Classic qualification.[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ Major League Baseball 2021 Player Name Presentation Preferences and Pronunciations. Archived 2021-04-26 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved April 27, 2021
  2. ^ Mark Polishuk (August 4, 2014). "Phillies Sign Jonathan Arauz". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  3. ^ Jason Burke (December 16, 2015). "Jonathan Arauz is More Than a Throw-In". 247Sports.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  4. ^ Jim Salisbury (December 12, 2015). "Mark Appel among 5 pitchers Phillies get in finalized Ken Giles trade". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  5. ^ Bill Baer (April 4, 2017). "Astros prospect Jonathan Arauz suspended 50 games after testing positive for Methamphetamine". NBC Sports. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  6. ^ Steve Batterson (May 9, 2018). "Experience helps Bandits' Arauz swing a hot bat". Quad-City Times. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  7. ^ Peter Scamardo (August 1, 2019). "Hooks adjust to roster changes after Astros moves at trade deadline". Corpus Christi Caller Times. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  8. ^ Sammy Batten (June 18, 2019). "Fayetteville Woodpeckers' first-half highlights". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  9. ^ Tony Blengino (September 17, 2019). "Reports Of The Astros' Farm System's Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated". Forbes. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  10. ^ Cotillo, Chris (December 12, 2019). "Boston Red Sox select INF Jonathan Arauz in Rule 5 draft; must keep him on active roster or offer him back to Astros". masslive.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  11. ^ "Orioles vs. Red Sox". ESPN.com. July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  12. ^ "Red Sox vs. Mets Box Score". MLB.com. July 30, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  13. ^ @BradyDGardner (August 10, 2020). "22-year old Jonathan Arauz picks up his first career MLB hit, knocking one between second and short" (Tweet). Retrieved August 10, 2020 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ a b c d "Jonathan Arauz Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Jonathan Arauz Minor, Amateur & Winter League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  16. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. May 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  17. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. July 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  18. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. August 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  19. ^ Campbell, Lauren (September 10, 2021). "Jonathan Araúz Latest Member Of Red Sox To Land On COVID-19 IL". NESN. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  20. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. September 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  21. ^ Smith, Christopher (April 7, 2022). "Boston Red Sox 2022 Opening Day roster official: Hansel Robles, Phillips Valdez, Travis Shaw all make it". masslive.com. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  22. ^ "Red Sox's Jonathan Arauz: Heads to COVID-19 IL". CBS Sports. April 19, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  23. ^ Collins, Matt (May 12, 2022). "Red Sox reinstate Jonathan Araúz from the COVID list". overthemonster.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  24. ^ "Red Sox place INF/OF Kiké Hernández on 10-day injured list". MLB.com (Press release). Boston Red Sox. June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  25. ^ @RedSox (June 10, 2022). "The #RedSox today announced the following roster moves:" (Tweet). Retrieved June 10, 2022 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ Franco, Anthony (June 15, 2022). "Orioles Claim Jonathan Arauz, Designate Zac Lowther". MLBTradeRumors. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  27. ^ "Orioles Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. Baltimore Orioles. September 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  28. ^ "2022 Rule 5 Draft results: Pick by pick". MLB.com.
  29. ^ "Mets' Jonathan Arauz: Selected to MLB roster". cbssports.com. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  30. ^ "Mets place six players on outright waivers: report". sports.yahoo.com. October 20, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  31. ^ "Jonathan Arauz: Elects free agency". cbssports.com. October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  32. ^ "Dodgers' Jonathan Arauz: Receives minors deal from Dodgers". cbssports.com. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  33. ^ Stephen, Eric (March 29, 2024). "Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City sets preliminary roster for 2024". SB Nation. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  34. ^ "Jonathan Araúz Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MiLB.com.
  35. ^ "Panamá revela selección para el WBCQ". FEDEBEIS (in Spanish). September 28, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.