César Prieto (born May 10, 1999) is a Cuban
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 baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
in the
St Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
organization.
Career
Prieto was a member of the
Cuba national baseball team
The Cuba national baseball team (Spanish: ''Selección de béisbol de Cuba'') represents Cuba at regional and international levels. The team is made up from the most professional players from the Cuban national baseball system. Cuba has been des ...
. He also joined the
Elefantes de Cienfuegos in 2017. His performance as an
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
and
batter
Batter or batters may refer to:
Common meanings
* Batter (cooking), thin dough that can be easily poured into a pan
* Batter (baseball), person whose turn it is to face the pitcher
* Batter (cricket), a player who is currently batting
* Batter ...
was considered one of the best in Cuba. Prieto defected to the United States in 2021 while in
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 to ...
for the
qualifying tournament for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Baltimore Orioles
On January 16, 2022, Prieto signed with 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) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
as an international free agent for a bonus of $650,000. He split the season between the High–A
Aberdeen IronBirds and Double–A
Bowie Baysox
The Bowie Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium.
History
From 1989 to 1992, ...
. In 115 total contests, Prieto batted .273/.314/.404 with 11 home runs and 57 RBI.
In 2023, Prieto played in 58 games for Bowie, hitting .364 with 4 home runs and 29 RBI before he was promoted to the Triple–A
Norfolk Tides. In 27 games for Norfolk, he slashed .317/.365/.471 with 2 home runs and 20 RBI.
St. Louis Cardinals
On August 1, 2023, Prieto,
Drew Rom, and Zack Showalter were traded to the
St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for pitcher
Jack Flaherty
Jack Rafe Flaherty (born October 15, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft, he made his MLB debut in 2017 ...
.
References
External links
1999 births
Living people
Defecting Cuban baseball players
Defectors to the United States
Elefantes de Cienfuegos players
Naranjas de Villa Clara players
Aberdeen IronBirds players
Baseball infielders
Bowie Baysox players
People from Cienfuegos
Sportspeople from Cienfuegos
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