Arodys Vizcaíno (born November 13, 1990) 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 baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

in 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 ...

organization. He has previously played in MLB for 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 (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

and

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

. Originally signed by the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

as an international free agent in 2007, Vizcaíno was traded to the Atlanta Braves after the 2009 season, and made his MLB debut in 2011. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs during the 2012 season and traded back to the Braves for

Tommy La Stella Thomas Frank La Stella (born January 31, 1989), nicknamed TL and 3 AM, is an American Infielder, professional baseball infielder in the San Francisco Giants organization. He previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Ang ...

after the 2014 season.

Professional career

New York Yankees (2007–09)

Vizcaíno signed with the

as an international free agent on July 2, 2007. He made his professional debut with the Rookie-level

Gulf Coast Yankees The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball e ...

of the

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lo ...

in 2008, pitching to a 3-2

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

, 3.68

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA), with 48

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s and 13 walks in 44

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...

over twelve games. Vizcaíno pitched for the Single-A Short Season

Staten Island Yankees The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team located in the New York City borough of Staten Island from 1999 to 2020. Nicknamed the "Baby Bombers", the Yankees were the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees and pla ...

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 ...

in 2009, going 2-4 with a 2.13 ERA in 10 games, all starts, and striking out 52 in innings. After the 2009 season, ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' ranked Vizcaíno as the Yankees' third best prospect, rating his

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 ...

as the best in the Yankees' organization, and projecting him to be the Yankees' fourth starter in their 2013 rotation.

Atlanta Braves (2009–12)

Vizcaíno was traded from the Yankees to the

with

Melky Cabrera Melky Cabrera Astacio (born August 11, 1984), nicknamed The Melkman, is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue ...

, Mike Dunn, and $500,000 in exchange for Javier Vázquez and

Boone Logan Boone Logan (born August 13, 1984) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, and Milwauke ...

on December 23, 2009. ''Baseball America'' rated him the 69th best prospect in baseball before the regular season began. The Braves assigned Vizcaíno to the Single-A

Rome Braves The Rome Braves are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2020, the team served ...

of the

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

. There, he went 9-3 with a 2.34 ERA in twelve starts, striking out 66 in innings. They promoted him to the Single-A Advanced

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...

of the

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

, where he had a 4.63 ERA in three starts before suffering a right elbow strain that landed him 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 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

. An examination discovered a partially torn right elbow

ligament A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the: * Peritoneal li ...

. He did not pitch for the rest of the season, ending with a 2.74 ERA overall. ''Baseball America'' rated Vizcaino as the Braves' seventh best prospect after the season. Before the 2011 season, ''Baseball America'' rated Vizcaíno the 93rd best prospect in baseball. In 2011, Vizcaíno began the season with the Single-A Advanced

Lynchburg Hillcats The Lynchburg Hillcats are a Minor League Baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia that plays in the Carolina League and is the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 2014, the Cincinna ...

of the Carolina League, but was promoted to the Double-A

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. T ...

of the Southern League and 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 Lawrencevil ...

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

later that season. Across the minors, he went 5-5 with a 3.06 ERA, 100 strikeouts and 28 walks in 97 innings across three levels. Vizcaíno was called up to the majors for the first time on August 10, 2011. He made his MLB debut that day, pitching in relief, walking two batters and hitting another in the ninth inning. Vizcaíno earned his first MLB win in the Braves' 2-1 extra-inning victory over 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 Yor ...

on August 16. In seventeen games with the Atlanta Braves, Vizcaíno had a 1-1 record, 4.67 ERA and 17 strikeouts in innings. After the 2011 season, ''Baseball America'' rated Vizcaino as the Braves' second best prospect, after only

Julio Teherán Julio Alberto Teherán Pinto (born January 27, 1991) is a Colombian professional baseball pitcher in the San Diego Padres organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and Detroit Tigers. ...

. On March 20, 2012, Vizcaino underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

causing him to miss the rest of the 2012 season.

Chicago Cubs (2012–14)

On July 30, 2012, Vizcaíno was traded along with right-handed pitcher

Jaye Chapman Jaye Lawrence Chapman (born May 22, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs. Career Atlanta Braves Chapman was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 16th round of th ...

to the

for left-handed pitcher

Paul Maholm Paul Gurner Maholm (pronounced Mah-HALL-uhm; born June 25, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. Earl ...

and outfielder

Reed Johnson Reed Cameron Johnson (born December 8, 1976) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, and Washingt ...

. Vizcaíno started the 2013 season on the 60-day disabled list still recovering from the Tommy John surgery he previously had and was expected to return after the All-Star break. However, Vizcaíno required arthroscopic surgery on his elbow in May, and required the remainder of the 2013 season to rehabilitate. He returned in 2014 and was called up to the majors in September, when rosters expanded.

Second stint with Atlanta Braves (2014–19)

On November 16, 2014, the Cubs traded Vizcaíno and three international signing bonus slots to the Braves for

and an international signing bonus slot. On March 30, 2015, Vizcaino was optioned to

of the

. He was suspended for the first eighty games of the 2015 minor league season after testing positive for

stanozolol Stanozolol (Abbreviation, abbrev. Stz), sold under many brand names, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat hereditary angioedema. It was developed by American pharmaceuti ...

in April.

Following the return from his suspension, Vizcaíno joined the struggling Braves bullpen. After the season-ending injury to

Jason Grilli Jason Michael Grilli (born November 11, 1976) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los A ...

and the trade of Jim Johnson, Vizcaíno assumed the role of

closing pitcher In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer (abbreviated CL), is a relief pitcher who specializes in getting the final outs in a close game when his team is leading. The role is often assigned to a team's best relieve ...

. On August 6, 2015, he recorded his first save against the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

. He finished the season recording nine saves for the Braves. Vizcaíno was eligible for arbitration for the first time following the 2015 season. He agreed to a one-year contract worth $897,500 on January 15, 2016, before hearings were slated to begin. Vizcaíno started the season well recording six saves and a 1.52 ERA through June 7. He then began to struggle, and was placed on the disabled list on July 15. Upon his return, Vizcaíno lost the closer role. He was placed on the DL for the second time that season on August 30. Vizcaíno made 43 appearances in 2016, throwing innings while recording a 4.42 ERA and ten saves. For the 2017 season, he finished 62 games with 14 saves for the Braves in innings. The next season, Vizcaíno signed a one-year deal for $1.55 million, avoiding arbitration for the second time. In January 2018, Vizcaíno agreed to a contract worth $3.4 million. He reported soreness in his right shoulder in late June, and was placed on the 10-day disabled list. Vizcaíno returned to action as planned, only to be placed back on the disabled list in July. He was reactivated from the 60-day disabled list on September 14. On November 30, 2018, the Braves tendered Vizcaíno a contract worth $4.8 million. Three weeks into the 2019 season, Vizcaíno was placed on the 10-day injured list due to problems with his right shoulder. On April 17, 2019, Vizcaíno underwent surgery on his right labrum, and missed the rest of the season.

Seattle Mariners (2019)

On May 20, 2019, Vizcaíno and

Jesse Biddle Jesse Thomas Biddle (born October 22, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He was selected in the first round of the 2010 MLB draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. Biddle ...

were traded to the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

in exchange for

Anthony Swarzak Anthony Ray Swarzak (born September 10, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Chica ...

. As he had undergone season-ending surgery prior to the trade, Vizcaíno did not pitch for the Mariners and elected free agency following the season.

New York Mets

On November 4, 2020, Vizcaino 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 ...

. Vizcaíno spent the 2021 season with the Triple-A

Syracuse Mets The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), 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 open ...

. He made 7 appearances, posting a 2.35 ERA and 14 strikeouts. He was released on November 11, 2021.

Kansas City Royals

On January 13, 2022, Vizcaíno signed a minor league contract with the

. He was sent outright to Triple-A on June 16.

Scouting profile

Vizcaíno's

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

has been recorded as fast as .

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vizcaino, Arodys 1990 births Living people Atlanta Braves players Baseball players suspended for drug offenses Chicago Cubs players Daytona Cubs players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Republic sportspeople in doping cases Gulf Coast Yankees players Gwinnett Braves players Iowa Cubs players Kansas City Royals players Lynchburg Hillcats players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Mississippi Braves players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Omaha Storm Chasers players People from Yaguate Rome Braves players Staten Island Yankees players Syracuse Mets players Tennessee Smokies players Tigres del Licey players