Rod Barajas

Infobox MLB player


width=300
name=Rod Barajas
position=Catcher
team=Toronto Blue Jays
number=20
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1975|9|5
birthplace=city-state|Ontario|California
debutdate=September 25
debutyear=1999
debutteam=Arizona Diamondbacks
statyear= August 19, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value= .241
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value= 72
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value= 275
teams=
*Arizona Diamondbacks (by|1999-by|2003)
*Texas Rangers (by|2004-by|2006)
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2007)
*Toronto Blue Jays (by|2008-present)

Rodrigo Richard Barajas (born September 5, 1975 in Ontario, California) is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. He came up to the Majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks in by|1999.

Minor League Career

Barajas was originally signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as an amateur free agent on December 23, 1996. He was immediately sent to the minor leagues. He played for the Lethbridge Black Diamonds of the Pioneer League (Rk), the lowest level of the minors as a rookie. He had a nice season in 1996 there, hitting .337 in 51 games. He played his way to the top of the minor leagues in the Diamondbacks' system. In 1999, he made his debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Major League Career

1999-2000

Barajas only received a few cups of coffee with the Diamondbacks in 1999 and 2000. He played in a total of 10 games in which he homered twice and did not commit a single error at the catcher position.

2001

Barajas struggled at the plate in 2001, hitting just .160 in 51 games, though he only committed one error while serving as a backup for Damian Miller. He was on the Diamondbacks' world series roster. In Game 5 of the World Series, he homered off Mike Mussina of the New York Yankees. The Diamondbacks ended up losing the game after Byung-Hyun Kim blew a ninth inning save.

2002-03

Barajas continued to serve as a backup for Miller in 2002. In 70 games, he hit .234, with 3 Home Runs and 23 RBI. In 2003, he pulled off similar numbers in 80 games, batting just .218, with 3 Home Runs and 28 RBI.

2004-05

Before by|2004, Barajas had never played more than 80 games, hit more than three home runs, or batted higher than .234 in a full season. In 2004, the Rangers invited him to spring training and he won the backup catcher's job. After starting catcher Gerald Laird was sidelined with a sprained thumb, Barajas took over the starting job with Laird and Danny Ardoin serving as his backups. At the end of the season, he established career highs in games played (108), home runs (15), RBIs (58), and batting average (.249). Barajas also played some first base when needed, compiling ten career games there as a defensive replacement, through the by|2007 season. In 2005, he hit a career-high 21 Home Runs, serving as the starter once again. In 2006, his numbers dropped significantly and he split time with Laird.

2007

In November by|2006, Barajas was originally going to sign a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, but he backed out of the deal at the last minute, after switching agents. On December 18, 2006, it was announced that Barajas had reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies for a one year deal worth less than half of the Blue Jay offer a month earlier. Barajas claimed he was happy with the new deal and has no regrets in backing out of the deal with Toronto. He shared time behind the plate with Carlos Ruiz. On August 3, 2007, Barajas was placed on the 15-day disabled list with what was reported in the media as a groin injury.

2008

On October 11, 2007 the Phillies declined his option making him a free agent, and on January 24, by|2008 Barajas signed a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, the team he backed out of a contract with the previous offseason, this time as the backup to incumbent catcher Gregg Zaun. Zaun had signed a two year deal with the team only after negotiations with Barajas fell apart. . [cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080124&content_id=2354820&vkey=hotstove2007&fext=.jsp|title=Jays sign Barajas to one-year deal|accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=MLB.com|publisher= |date= ] Blue Jays manager J.P. Ricciardi has said he has no hard feelings towards Barajas for backing out of the deal a year ago. Zaun was supposed to be the starting catcher, but due to his poor offensive numbers and overall difficulties, manager Cito Gaston made Barajas the starter after he took over for John Gibbons. He's now stolen the starting catching job from the aging Gregg Zaun.

Career statistics

Personal life

Barajas' wife, Stacie, gave birth to their sixth child, daughter Aubrielle, on July 17, 2007. The couple have four sons, Andrew, Bryce, Rod Jr. and Jace, and two daughters, Aunalilia and Aubrielle. [cite web |url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070719&content_id=2097584&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi|title=Notes: Germano eager to face Phillies Let go in Spring Training, Padres righty enjoying solid '07|accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=MLB.com |publisher= |date= ] Rod attended Cerritos Community College.

References

External links