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Jonathan Paul Arencibia (born January 5, 1986) is a
Cuban-American Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cuban descent or ...
former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the cat ...
. He is currently serving as the bench coach for the
Syracuse Mets The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Syracuse, New York, and play their home games at NBT Bank Stadium, which opened in 1997 and has ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
(MLB) for the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
, Texas Rangers, and
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
from 2010 through 2015.


High school career

As a teenager, Arencibia attended Westminster Christian high school in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
, which has produced other MLB players, most notably
Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
and
Doug Mientkiewicz Douglas Andrew Mientkiewicz ( ; born June 19, 1974) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1998 to 2009, most prominently as a member of the Minnesota Twins wher ...
. Arencibia also played football and basketball in high school, but excelled in baseball. He later played for the Under-18 Florida Bombers, alongside future major leaguers
Mat Latos Mathew Adam Latos ( ; born December 9, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padre ...
,
Gaby Sánchez Gabriel Sánchez (born September 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the ...
,
Yonder Alonso Yonder Alonso (born April 8, 1987) is a Cuban former professional baseball first baseman and current MLB Network analyst. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Cl ...
, and
Jon Jay Jonathan Henry Jay (born March 15, 1985) is an American professional baseball coach and former outfielder who is the first base coach for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Dieg ...
.


College career

Arencibia attended the
University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th sta ...
, and played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
for the
Tennessee Volunteers The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity college athletics, intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in NCAA Division I, ...
. He won the
USA Baseball USA Baseball is the national governing body for organized baseball in the United States, and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Basebal ...
Richard W. "Dick" Case Player of the Year Award in 2006. Prior to the 2007 draft, questions were raised about Arencibia's defensive abilities as a catcher. After drafting him, however, the Blue Jays decided to keep him as a catcher, rather than convert him to another position, such as first base. While attending college, Arencibia played with Chase Headley, Luke Hochevar, and
Julio Borbon Julio is the Spanish equivalent of the month July and may refer to: *Julio (given name) *Julio (surname) *Júlio de Castilhos, a municipality of the western part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * ''Julio'' (album), a 1983 compilation albu ...
. In the summer of 2006, Arencibia played baseball in
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
with David Price, and would later be drafted 20 positions behind Price in 2007.


Professional career


Toronto Blue Jays


2007–10

Arencibia was drafted 21st overall by the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
in the
2007 MLB draft The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the fir ...
. He was assigned to Toronto's Low A ball affiliate, the
Auburn Doubledays The Auburn Doubledays are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) that is located in Auburn, New York. From 1958 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL ...
of the
New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
. Arencibia struggled during the early part of the season but hit well during the stretch and into the playoffs, helping the Doubledays win the NY-Penn League championship. He began the 2008 season with the
Dunedin Blue Jays The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...
of the
Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A followi ...
. By the FSL all-star break, he led the league or was near the top in many offensive categories, finishing the first half of the season batting .315 with 13 homers, 22 doubles and 62 RBI. He was named as the starting catcher for the Western Division in the FSL All-Star Game. After the game, the Blue Jays promoted him to their Double-A team, the
New Hampshire Fisher Cats The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major league club. During the team's first seaso ...
of the
Eastern League Eastern League may refer to: Baseball in the United States ''Most recent leagues listed first'' * Eastern League (1938–present), a minor league established in 1923 and renamed Eastern League in 1938, at the Double-A level * Eastern League (1916� ...
. During the off-season of 2008, Arencibia took part in the
Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
as a member of the
Phoenix Desert Dogs Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
. For the 2009 season, Arencibia was promoted to the Las Vegas 51s, the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate in the
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Ba ...
. Arencibia was promoted to the MLB on August 4, 2010 to replace the injured John Buck, who had been placed on the 15-day disabled list for a right thumb laceration. At the time of his promotion, Arencibia was batting .303 with a PCL leading 31 home runs and 79 RBI He started in his first MLB game for the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
on August 7, 2010 against the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
. In his first MLB at-bat, Arencibia hit a two-run home run on the first pitch from James Shields, becoming the 28th player in history to hit a home run on his first MLB pitch. In his following plate appearances, he hit a double, a single and then a solo home run and received a curtain call from the fans at the
Rogers Centre Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, ...
while finishing the game just a triple shy of
hitting for the cycle In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League ...
. Arencibia is the fifth player ever to hit two home runs in his first game. In addition, he became the first person in the modern era with four hits and two home runs in an MLB debut, a feat set 121 years before by
Columbus Solons The Columbus Solons were a professional baseball team in the American Association from 1889 to 1891. In three seasons, they won 200 games and lost 209 for a winning percentage of .489. Their home games were played at Recreation Park in Columbus ...
catcher
Charlie Reilly Charles Thomas Reilly (February 15, 1867 – December 16, 1937) was an American professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1889 to 1897 for the Columbus Solons, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, and W ...
. Arencibia is also the first Blue Jay to have four hits in a debut, and the first Blue Jay since
Junior Felix Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...
to hit a home run on his first at bat. On August 18, 2010, Arencibia was optioned back to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for the return of John Buck from the disabled list. He was recalled from Las Vegas on September 1.


2011

Arencibia was the starting catcher at the Blue Jays' 2011 home opener. He hit the team's first home run of the season, a 2-run homer to deep center. He finished the night with 2 home runs and a triple. On May 7, he broke up
Justin Verlander Justin Brooks Verlander ( ; born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. From Manakin-Sabot, ...
's perfect game, being walked after a 12 pitch at-bat. On June 3 against the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
, Arencibia hit his first career
grand slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...
in an 8–4 victory. As of June 4, Arencibia led all major league rookies with 9 home runs, which is already a Blue Jays club record for a rookie catcher, surpassing the previous record of five shared by Pat Borders (1988) and Greg Myers (1990). In a game against the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
on August 25, Arencibia hit his 20th home run of the season, tying the single season record for home runs by Blue Jays catchers ( John Buck hit 20 in 2010). While playing at home against the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
on August 29, Arencibia stole a base, his first career stolen base on his first attempt. In a game against the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
on September 7, Arencibia hit his 21st home run of the season, breaking a tie with John Buck for most home runs by a Blue Jays' catcher in a single season. He is one of three rookies in Blue Jays history to hit 21 or more home runs, along with
Eric Hinske Eric Scott Hinske (born August 5, 1977) is an American professional baseball coach and retired outfielder and first baseman who is currently the assistant hitting coach for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). Hinske played i ...
(24 in 2002) and
Rowdy Tellez Ryan John "Rowdy" Tellez ( ; born March 16, 1995) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2013, Tellez was both a ''B ...
(21 in 2019). He led all major league catchers in
passed ball In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a ru ...
s in 2011, with 12.


2012

On
Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...
2012, Arencibia hit a game-winning 3-run home run in the 16th inning against the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...
. It was the longest game in Opening Day history in terms of innings. On May 16, 2012, Arencibia reached 100 RBI for his career in a 4-1 win against the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
. The following day, in a game against the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...
, Arencibia set a career high for RBI in a game with 6, in a 14-5 win. Arencibia also hit 2 home runs, giving him the first 3-game home run streak of his career. Arencibia was named AL Player of the Week for May 14–20, hitting .360 with 4 home runs, 10 RBI, 7 runs scored, and a slugging percentage of .920. He is the first catcher in Blue Jays history to win the award. On July 25, in a game against the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...
, Arencibia was hit on the right hand by a pitch while catching. Arencibia finished the inning, but left the game for precautionary reasons. X-rays came back positive for a fracture, and he was expected to miss 6 weeks. Arencibia began a rehab assignment with the Class-A
Dunedin Blue Jays The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...
on September 2. He finished the season with a .233 batting average, 18 home runs, and 56 RBI.


2013

On May 6, 2013, Arencibia hit a two-run home run to give the Blue Jays an 8–7 lead against the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
, in a game where they had been down 7–0 after the third inning. The comeback victory was the largest by the Blue Jays since a 12-11 win in 2007, also against Tampa Bay. It was to be a rare 2013 highlight for Arencibia, who was a consistent target of criticism from both the fans and the press for his poor statistical performance that year. Arencibia was a guest on ''
Brady Brady may refer to: People * Brady (surname) * Brady (given name) * Brady (nickname) * Brady Boone, a ring name of American professional wrestler Dean Peters (1958–1998) Places in the United States * Brady, Montana, a census-designated plac ...
&
Lang Lang may refer to: * Lang (surname), a surname of independent Germanic or Chinese origin Places * Lang Island (Antarctica), East Antarctica * Lang Nunatak, Antarctica * Lang Sound, Antarctica * Lang Park, a stadium in Brisbane, Australia * L ...
'', a radio program broadcast on
Sportsnet 590 CJCL (590 AM, ''Sportsnet 590 The Fan'') is a Canadian sports radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned and operated by Rogers Sports & Media since 2002, CJCL's studios are located at the Rogers Building at Bloor and Jarvis in downtown Toro ...
, on July 4, 2013. When asked for his opinion of
Gregg Zaun Gregory Owen Zaun (; born April 14, 1971) is an American baseball analyst, public speaker and a former professional baseball catcher. He played for nine teams over 16 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1995 until 2010, winning a World Series ...
and
Dirk Hayhurst Dirk Von Hayhurst (born March 24, 1981) is an American author and broadcaster, and formerly a professional baseball pitcher. Hayhurst played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres in 2008 and for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2009. Followi ...
, two commentators (and former Blue Jays players) employed by
Rogers Sportsnet Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then was r ...
who had criticized Arencibia's performance in recent broadcasts, Arencibia stated that "...speaking for myself and the team, there's not one person in our clubhouse that respects those guys". Arencibia stated that Hayhurst was a "below average player" during their time together in Triple-A, and also made mention of Zaun's link to the Mitchell Report, which named several players suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs during their careers. After setting off a firestorm of comments from fans, some defending his position, others against it, on July 23, Arencibia shut down his Twitter account. (It was later reopened by a fan group called "Team JP" on August 15.) Arencibia finished the 2013 season batting below the Mendoza line, hitting just .194, although he did hit 21 home runs, placing him second amongst MLB catchers to
Matt Wieters Matthew Richard Wieters (; born May 21, 1986) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, and St. Louis Cardinals. Wieters played college basebal ...
, and 55 RBIs. However, his extremely low batting average, coupled with drawing only 18 walks over the course of the entire season, led to an historically low OPS for Arencibia: with a .592 OPS, he became the first player in major league history to reach 20 homers in a season and still post a sub-.600 OPS. (The next lowest OPS for a 20-homer season was .649 by Cleveland's
Willie Kirkland Willie Charles Kirkland (born February 17, 1934) is a retired American professional baseball player. A right fielder and a powerful left-handed hitter, Kirkland appeared in 1,149 games in Major League Baseball over nine seasons for the San Franc ...
in 1962.) Arencibia was non-tendered on December 2, 2013, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.


Texas Rangers


2014

On December 5, 2013, it was reported that Arencibia and the Texas Rangers were in discussions for a possible contract. The following day,
Ken Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal (born September 19, 1962) is an American sportswriter and reporter. He serves as a field reporter for '' Fox Major League Baseball'' since 2005, and was an in-studio reporter for MLB Network from 2009 to 2022. Since August 2017, ...
reported that Arencibia had agreed to a one-year contract worth $1.8 million with Texas, pending the completion of a physical examination. The deal was made official on December 10. Arencibia was optioned to the Triple-A
Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...
on May 20, 2014, and outrighted to Round Rock on May 21. On July 17, Arencibia was re-added to the 40-man roster when
Carlos Peña Carlos Felipe Peña (born May 17, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, C ...
was designated for assignment. On July 29 at Globe Life Park, Arencibia dominated
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
' pitching with four extra base-hits in five at bats (two doubles, two home runs, one of them being a grand slam) and batted in seven of eleven Rangers runs, but the Rangers fell 12-11. On August 13, 2014, Arencibia took the mound for the first time in his career and pitched the 9th inning for the Rangers who were losing to the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
10-1. He pitched a scoreless inning, throwing 10 pitches, 6 for strikes, and allowed one hit for a single. His 10 pitches ranged from 70 to 74 miles per hour. He was assigned outright to Triple-A Round Rock on October 6. On October 9, it was announced that Arencibia had declined the assignment to Round Rock, becoming a free agent.


Tampa Bay Rays

On January 8, 2015, the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
announced that they had signed Arencibia to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He was released by the Orioles on April 9. On April 16, he signed a minor league contract with the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
, and was assigned to the Triple-A
Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...
. Arencibia was called up by the Rays on August 26, after
Curt Casali Curtis Michael Casali (born November 9, 1988), is an American professional baseball catcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball at Vanderbilt University, and was selected in the 10th round of the 201 ...
was placed on the disabled list. Arencibia was designated for assignment on November 20, 2015, and released on November 23. He appeared in 24 games for the Rays, batting .310 with 6 home runs and 17 RBI.


Philadelphia Phillies

The
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
announced on December 14, 2015 that Arencibia had been signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He was granted his release on May 16, 2016. In 12 games for the Triple-A
Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in the ...
, Arencibia hit .167 with one home run and two RBI.


Return to Tampa Bay

On May 20, 2016, Arencibia signed a minor league deal to return to the Rays, and was assigned to the Durham Bulls. He remained in Triple-A Durham for the rest of the 2016 season, and batted .252 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI in 78 games played. Arencibia announced his retirement from professional baseball on January 18, 2017.


New York Mets

On January 9, 2023, Arencibia announced that he was joining The
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...
organization as a AAA bench coach for the 2023 season.


Broadcasting career

Arencibia was named a studio pre and postgame analyst for Marlins broadcasts on
Fox Sports Florida Bally Sports Florida is an American regional sports network owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts local sports coverage in the state of Florida, with a focus on professional sport ...
on February 12, 2019.


Personal life

Arencibia's maternal grandparents are originally from Cuba of
Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...
and Canarian descent, and immigrated to the United States when his mother was two years old. He lives in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
in the off-season. In 2013, Arencibia was reported to be dating Kimberly Perry of
The Band Perry The Band Perry are an American band composed of siblings Kimberly Perry (lead vocals, guitar), Reid Perry (bass guitar, background vocals), and Neil Perry ( mandolin, bouzouki, background vocals). They signed to Republic Nashville in August ...
. The couple became engaged on September 30, 2013, and were married on June 12, 2014. In March 2018, the couple filed for divorce. In early 2021, Arencibia was linked to conservative political commentator and television presenter
Tomi Lahren Tomi Rae Augustus Lahren (; born August 11, 1992) is an American conservative political commentator and television presenter. She hosted ''Tomi'' on TheBlaze, where she gained attention for her short video segments called "final thoughts", in ...
. In March 2021, Arencibia apologized publicly for threatening a comedian who had " trolled" Lahren about
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
losing the
2020 United States presidential election The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala H ...
. In September 2021, Arencibia and Lahren announced their engagement. On October 21, 2022, Arencibia married Lahren in Nashville.


See also

* List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in first major league at bat


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Arencibia, J.P. 1986 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada American sportspeople of Cuban descent American people of Basque descent Auburn Doubledays players Baseball players from Miami Dunedin Blue Jays players Durham Bulls players Las Vegas 51s players Major League Baseball catchers New Hampshire Fisher Cats players Pacific Coast League MVP award winners Phoenix Desert Dogs players Round Rock Express players Tampa Bay Rays players Tennessee Volunteers baseball players Texas Rangers players Toronto Blue Jays players World Baseball Classic players of the United States 2013 World Baseball Classic players