Arismendy Alcántara (; born October 29, 1991) is a Dominican

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 professional ...

center fielder and second baseman for the

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional Baseball in Japan, baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Hokkaido. The Figh ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB). Alcántara signed as an international

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

with the Chicago Cubs in 2008 as a

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

. He previously 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 (AL), ...

(MLB) for the Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and Cincinnati Reds.

Career

Chicago Cubs

Alcántara signed as an international

with the Chicago Cubs in 2008 as a

. He made his professional debut in the

Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League (DSL) is a branch of affiliated Minor League Baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. After the demise of the Venezuelan Summer League after the 2015 season, it is the only ...

that summer. He played for the

Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Peor ...

of the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

in 2011, and the

Daytona Cubs Daytona refers to the city of Daytona Beach, Florida, or things named after it. Daytona may also refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Florida State League in 2012, batting .302/.339/.447 in 331 at bats. He was limited in the 2012 season by a broken foot. In 2013, Alcántara played for the

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

Southern League. When the Cubs promoted fellow shortstop Javier Baez to Tennessee at midseason, they moved Alcántara to second base. Alcántara was selected to represent the Cubs at the 2013 All-Star Futures Game where he hit a home run. He also appeared in the

Southern League All-Star Game The Southern League All-Star Game was an annual baseball game sanctioned by Minor League Baseball between professional players from the teams of the Double-A Southern League. Each division, North and South, fielded a team composed of players in ...

. He batted .271/.352/.451 in 494 at bats, and was 2nd in the league in doubles (36), tied for 2nd in stolen bases (31), 3rd in intentional walks (6), 5th in RBIs (69), tied for 5th in sacrifices (9), 8th in runs (69) and walks (62), and tied for 9th in home runs (15). After the season, the Cubs added Alcántara to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

. Alcántara began the 2014 season with the Iowa Cubs of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

Pacific Coast League (PCL). With Iowa, he batted .307/.353/.537 in 335 at bats. The Cubs promoted him to the majors on July 9 to replace Darwin Barney, who was placed on the paternity list. Following a four-hit game on July 10, the Cubs informed him they would extend his time with the major league team through at least the All-Star break. Alcántara appeared in 70 games and finished 2014 with a .205 batting average, 10 home runs, and 29 RBIs. Alcántara spent the majority of the 2015 campaign back with Iowa, slashing .231/.285/.399 in 499 AAA plate appearances. In 11 games with the big league club, he batted .077 (2-for-26).

Oakland Athletics

Alcántara began the 2016 season with Iowa, but was traded to the Oakland Athletics for

Chris Coghlan Christopher B. Coghlan (pronounced KAHG-lihn; born June 18, 1985) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Florida / Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue ...

on June 9. He was assigned to the Nashville Sounds of the PCL, and recalled by Oakland ten games later.

Cincinnati Reds

On October 6, 2016, Alcántara was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds. He elected free agency on November 6, 2017.

Mexican League (2018)

On April 8, 2018, Alcántara signed with the

Diablos Rojos del México The Diablos Rojos del Mexico (English: Mexico Red Devils) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Mexico City, Mexico. The team was founded in 1940 by Salvador Lutteroth and Ernesto Carmona. The Diablos Rojos play their hom ...

of the

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five t ...

. On May 4, 2018, Alcántara was traded to the

Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...

of the

. He was released on August 14, 2018. On August 14, 2018, Alcántara signed with the

Toros de Tijuana The Toros de Tijuana (or Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican Baseball team based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. They are members of the Mexican Baseball League and play their home games at Estadio Chevron. Team history Original Attempt The fran ...

of the

New York Mets

On January 3, 2019, Alcántara signed a minor league deal with 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 league ...

. He became a free agent following the 2019 season. With the AAA Syracuse Mets, he batted .294/.358/.508 in 303 at bats.

Los Angeles Angels

On December 10, 2019, Alcántara signed a minor league deal with the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

that included an invitation to spring training. He became a free agent on November 2, 2020.

San Francisco Giants

On January 12, 2021, Alcántara signed a minor league contract with the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

organization. He became a free agent following the season.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

On December 10, 2021, Alcántara signed with the

. On April 24, 2022, Alcántara became the 20th player in NPB history to hit a home run from both sides of the plate in the same game.https://www.reddit.com/r/NPB/comments/uavx0s/fighters_switch_hitter_arismendy_alcantara/

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alcantara, Arismendy 1991 births Living people Binghamton Rumble Ponies players Boise Hawks players Chicago Cubs players Cincinnati Reds players Daytona Cubs players Diablos Rojos del México players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Summer League Cubs players Guerreros de Oaxaca players Iowa Cubs players Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball second basemen Mexican League baseball outfielders Mexican League baseball second basemen Mexican League baseball shortstops Nashville Sounds players Navegantes del Magallanes players Oakland Athletics players Pensacola Blue Wahoos players Peoria Chiefs players Stockton Ports players Syracuse Mets players Tennessee Smokies players Tigres del Licey players Toros de Tijuana players Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Japan Sportspeople from Santo Domingo