According to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, former Red Sox catching prospect Ronaldo Hernandez has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks. An invitation to major league spring training is included in the deal.
Hernandez, 26, was originally acquired from the Rays along with minor-league infielder Nick Sogard in the February 2021 trade that sent pitchers Chris Mazza and Jeffrey Springs back to Tampa Bay. Hernandez has played for the Red Sox organization for the last three seasons
.Hernandez was considered one of baseball’s best catching prospects at the time. Prior to his first spring training session with the Sox, the native Colombian was already listed on the Rays’ 40-man roster for 2019. He began the 2021 season at Double-A Portland, where he played 92 games and recorded an OPS of.825. In late September, he was promoted to Triple-A Worcester.
Hernandez played batting for Worcester during the whole 2022 season.Over 105 games (437 plate appearances), he hit 261/.298/.451 with 27 doubles, 17 home runs, 63 RBIs, 50 runs scored, 21 walks, and 92 strikeouts with the WooSox. The right-hand hitter has not yet made his major-league debut despite being called up by Boston twice in the previous season (in April and August), but he never saw action.
Hernandez was outright sent to the minor levels after he passed waivers, and the Red Sox had removed him from their 40-man roster in December of last year. Although he was invited to big-league spring training, he wasn’t really given much of a chance to get called up this past season. Rather, he hammered.242/.336/.445 while hitting 17 doubles. While alternating between catcher and designated hitter, he put up 17 home runs, 70 RBIs, 49 runs scored, two stolen bases, 41 walks, and 69 strikeouts in 99 games (393 plate appearances) for Worcester.
According to SoxProspects.com’s ranking history, Hernandez, who became a free agent after going on the open market last month, peaked as the No. 14 prospect in Boston’s farm system. With 91 home runs and 409 RBIs in 636 career minor-league games (2,616 plate appearances) dating back to 2015, he brings with him a lifetime slash line of.279/.333/.461. Hernandez has batted.255/.319/.448 at the Triple-A level in 211 games and 860 at-bats, with 34 home runs and 138 runs driven in.
Hernandez has never been good at defense, but at 6-foot-1 and 248 pounds, he should be able to give the Diamondbacks some depth at bat first in the upper minors behind players like Jose Herrera and Gabriel Moreno, who are all excellent players; are presently listed on Arizona’s 40-man roster as of the 2024 campaign.
Hernandez has been participating in winter ball for the Dominican Winter League’s Gigantes del Cibao in the interim. Before playing on Wednesday, he has played in 17 games (60 plate appearances) with the San Francisco de Macorís-based team, hitting.245/.333/.283 with two doubles and three RBIs.
Leave a Reply