Maikel Jose Cleto (born May 1, 1989) is a Dominican former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

and

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

Professional career

New York Mets

Cleto began his professional career in with the Gulf Coast League Mets. He went 1–2 with a 5.03

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

, one save, and 28

strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

. In Cleto split the season between the Single-A

Savannah Sand Gnats The Savannah Sand Gnats were a minor league baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia. They were a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. The Sand Gnats were an affiliate of the New York Mets in their final nine seasons. The team relocated t ...

and the High-A

St. Lucie Mets The St. Lucie Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and play their home games at Clover Park. The Mets have been members ...

. He had a combined record of 5–12 with a 4.41 ERA, one

shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...

, and 82 strikeouts in 26 games (23 starts) split between the two affiliates.

Seattle Mariners

On December 11, 2008, Cleto was traded to the Mariners with

Aaron Heilman Aaron Michael Heilman (born November 12, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Early life Heilman was born in Logansport ...

Endy Chávez Endy de Jesus Chávez Meza (; born February 7, 1978), is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, Ne ...

Jason Vargas Jason Matthew Vargas (born February 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets and Philad ...

Mike Carp Christopher Michael Carp (born June 30, 1986) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers. Professional career ...

and

Ezequiel Carrera Ezequiel Manuel Carrera Reyes (born June 11, 1987) is a Venezuelans, Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, and Toronto Blue ...

in exchange for

J. J. Putz Joseph Jason Putz (; born February 22, 1977) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. Early life an ...

Jeremy Reed Jeremy Thomas Reed (born June 15, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers. He was the hitt ...

and Sean Green. Cleto split the season between the Rookie-Level

Peoria Mariners The Arizona Complex League Mariners are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The team is com ...

and the Class-A

Clinton LumberKings The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest Leag ...

. He went 0–4 with a 5.54 ERA and 25 strikeouts in nine games, eight starts. He attended

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

with the Mariners but was assigned to the Minor Leagues early in camp. Cleto was placed on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

of July 7 due to back discomfort and made his return on August 15.

St. Louis Cardinals

On December 12, 2010, Cleto was traded to the

in exchange for shortstop Brendan Ryan. Cleto was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on June 2, 2011, (the same day Lance Lynn was also called up), directly from the Double-A (

Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They are members of the Texas League's North Division and serve as the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Springfield Cardinals began pl ...

) to shore up an overworked bullpen. In 3 games during his rookie campaign, he struggled to a 12.46 ERA with 6 strikeouts across innings pitched. Cleto made 9 appearances for the Cardinals in 2012, struggling to a 7.00 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 9 innings of work. He made one appearance for St. Louis in 2013, allowing five runs with five strikeouts across innings.

Kansas City Royals

Cleto was claimed off waivers to 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

on June 23, 2013. In 19 appearances for the Triple-A

Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omah ...

, he compiled a 1-2 record and 3.55 ERA with 36 strikeouts across 38 innings of work. On February 17, 2014, Cleto was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Royals.

Chicago White Sox

On February 26, 2014, Cleto was claimed off waivers by the

. Cleto was

on May 10, to make room for Frank Francisco on the roster. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...

on May 12, and was selected back to the active roster on August 4. In 28 appearances out of the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...

, Cleto compiled a 4.60 ERA with 32 strikeouts across innings pitched. On April 3, 2015, Cleto was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Charlotte. In 31 games for Charlotte, he registered a 3-2 record and 3.00 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 5 saves across 51 innings pitched. On February 2, 2016, the White Sox re-signed Cleto to a minor league contract. He was released prior to the start of the season on March 31.

Vaqueros Laguna

On May 30, 2016, Cleto signed with the

Vaqueros Laguna The ''vaquero'' (; , ) is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula and extensively developed in what what is today Mexico (then New Spain) and Spanish Florida from a method brought to the Americ ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. In 14 relief outings for Laguna, he posted an 0-1 record and 1.29 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 14 innings pitched. Cleto was released by the team on July 1.

Atlanta Braves

On July 3, 2016, Cleto signed a minor league contract with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

organization. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevi ...

, where he made 20 appearances and registered a 2.14 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 4 saves in 21 innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 7.

Chicago Cubs

On December 13, 2016, Cleto signed a minor league contract with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

. He was released on March 13, 2017.

Mexican League (2017–2021)

On May 4, 2017, Cleto signed with the Vaqueros Unión Laguna of the

. On June 20, 2017, he was traded to the

Leones de Yucatán The Leones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The team plays its home games at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in 1957 ...

. On March 19, 2018, Cleto was traded back to the

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna The Algodoneros de Unión Laguna (English: Laguna Union Cottoneers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB). Based in Torreón, Coahuila, they play in the North Division of LMB. History Early years The team was established ...

prior to the beginning of the 2018 season. On July 17, 2018, Cleto was traded back to the

. On June 1, 2019, Cleto was loaned to the

Toros de Tijuana The Toros de Tijuana (English: Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican baseball team based in Tijuana, Mexico, that competes in the Mexican Baseball League. The team plays its home games at Estadio Chevron. Team history Original Attempt The franchise w ...

. On July 2, 2019, he was loaned to the

Rieleros de Aguascalientes The Rieleros de Aguascalientes (English: Aguascalientes Railroaders) are a professional baseball team based in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes that competes in the Mexican League. Established in 1975, the Rieleros have won the Mexican League cha ...

. On February 27, 2020, Cleto signed with the

Piratas de Campeche The Piratas de Campeche (English: Campeche Pirates) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB) based in Campeche, Campeche, Mexico. History In 1980, the Alacranes de Durango moved to Campeche, and played their home games at Ven ...

. Cleto did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the LMB season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. On April 7, 2021, Cleto signed with the

. On October 20, 2021, Cleto was traded back to the

. He was released prior to the start of the season on March 1, 2022.

Pitching style

Cleto is a hard-thrower, wielding a

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch (baseball), pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the fastest ball thrown by a pitcher. It is s ...

at 96–99 mph. The fastball is by far his most used pitch, but he also throws three off-speed pitches: a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

(89–91) to lefties, a slider (84–86) to righties, and a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

(79–82) to hitters from both sides of the plate.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleto, Maikel 1989 births Living people Águilas de Mexicali players Algodoneros de Unión Laguna players Arizona League Mariners players Cañeros de Los Mochis players Charlotte Knights players Chicago White Sox players Clinton LumberKings players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Gulf Coast Mets players High Desert Mavericks players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen Memphis Redbirds players Mexican League baseball pitchers Omaha Storm Chasers players Palm Beach Cardinals players Peoria Javelinas players Rieleros de Aguascalientes players Savannah Sand Gnats players Springfield Cardinals players Baseball players from Santo Domingo St. Louis Cardinals players St. Lucie Mets players Tigres del Licey players Toros de Tijuana players Vaqueros Laguna players Yaquis de Obregón players Gwinnett Braves players Leones de Yucatán players Toros del Este players