Joshua Joel Rodriguez (born December 18, 1984) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

infielder for the

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (''Owls of the Two Laredos''), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (''Owls of Nuevo Laredo''), are a Minor League Baseball team based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and Laredo, Texas in the Mexican Leagu ...

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 ...

. He has 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 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Amateur career

Rodriguez attended

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private research university in Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranked among the top universities ...

. There, he 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 p ...

for the

Rice Owls baseball The Rice Owls baseball team is the interscholastic baseball team representing Rice University in Houston, Texas, United States. The Owls have appeared often in the NCAA Tournament since the tenure of head coach Wayne Graham began in 1992. The p ...

team in the

Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Texas. Due to mos ...

(WAC) of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

's (NCAA) Division I. He was named WAC Freshman of the Year in 2004 and the Third Team NCAA Division I All-American third baseman in 2006, the year after Rice joined Conference USA.

Professional career

Cleveland Indians

Rodriguez was selected by 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) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

in the second round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. Rodriguez played for the Double–A

Akron Aeros The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 ...

of the Eastern League (EL) in 2008, 2009, and the first part of 2010. On May 18, 2010, Rodriguez was promoted to the Triple–A Columbus Clippers of the International League (IL). He hit .293 in 86 games.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 9, 2010, the Pirates selected Rodriguez with the first overall pick of the 2010 Rule 5 draft. Under the rules regarding Rule 5 players, Rodriguez had to stay on the team's major league roster for the entire 2011 season, or be offered back to the Indians. On March 27, 2011. the Pirates announced that Rodriguez would be on the team's Opening Day roster, after infielder Pedro Ciriaco was optioned to the Triple–A Indianapolis Indians. Pirates general manager

Neal Huntington Neal Alden Huntington (born February 4, 1969) is the former General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball and currently works in the front office of the Cleveland Guardians. Background A native of Amherst, New Hampshire, Hun ...

stated Rodriguez proved during spring training that he is adept enough defensively to hold his own in the big leagues. Huntington also added that " odriguezis not your typical Rule 5 guy. He's a little better-equipped to handle the major league environment than a typical Rule 5 guy." The announcement of Rodriguez being named to the Pirates Opening Day roster came moments after he and Ciriaco helped the team defeat 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 spring training game by scoring on a throwing error in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Pirates a 5-4 victory. He was designated for assignment on April 22 to make room for Brandon Wood on the roster. The Cleveland Indians reacquired him on April 29 and assigned him to Triple–A Columbus. However, he was traded back to Pittsburgh on June 21 for cash considerations. In the Pirates minor league system, he played for the Indianapolis Indians of the IL and the

Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of th ...

of the EL. In the 2011 season he played for Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Altoona, and Columbus.

New York Mets

On March 29, 2012, Rodriguez 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 ...

. Rodriguez began the year with the

Binghamton Mets The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mirab ...

of the EL. He was named EL Player of the Week on April 23.

Miami Marlins

On January 27, 2014, Rodriguez signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins organization and was assigned to the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs to begin the season.

New York Mets (second stint)

On March 8, 2015, Rodriguez signed a minor league deal with the

. He was assigned to the Triple–A Las Vegas 51s. On April 2, 2015 he was demoted to the AA

Oakland Athletics

Rodriguez signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics on November 25, 2015. He began the 2016 season with the Double-A

Midland RockHounds The Midland RockHounds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Midland, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Momentum Bank Ballpark, w ...

, but was promoted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds in late April. He became a free agent after the season, but was later re-signed to a minor league contract with the A's for 2017. He was released during spring training.

New York Mets (third stint)

On April 3, 2017, Rodriguez signed a minor league deal with the

and was assigned to the Triple–A Las Vegas 51s. In 106 games for Las Vegas, Rodriguez hit .242/.299/.395 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI. He elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Toros de Tijuana

On March 20, 2018, Rodriguez 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

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

On May 3, 2018, Rodriguez was traded to the

of the

. He appeared in 66 games for the club, collecting 61 hits and 9 home runs. In 2019, Rodriguez slashed .312/.385/.526 with 22 home runs and 88 RBI in 117 games for the team. Rodriguez did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. In 2021, Rodriguez played in 53 games for Dos Laredos, batting .230/.302/.410 with 6 home runs and 24 RBI. For the 2022 season, he made 77 appearances for the Tecolotes, hitting .224/.303/.354 with 7 home runs and 35 RBI.

Mariachis de Guadalajara

On February 11, 2023, Rodriguez signed with the

Mariachis de Guadalajara The Mariachis de Guadalajara (English language, English: Guadalajara Mariachis) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Zapopan, Jalisco. Their home ballpark is Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco y Atletismo, Estadio Pan ...

of the

Mexican 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 te ...

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

On April 2, 2024, Rodriguez signed with the

of the

.https://www.milb.com/mexican/news/previa-la-constelacion-de-las-dos-naciones

References

External links

MiLB.com player profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Josh 1984 births Living people Akron Aeros players Altoona Curve players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Binghamton Mets players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Columbus Clippers players Indianapolis Indians players Kinston Indians players Las Vegas 51s players Mahoning Valley Scrappers players Major League Baseball shortstops Mariachis de Guadalajara players Mexican League baseball shortstops Mexican League baseball third basemen Midland RockHounds players Naranjeros de Hermosillo players Nashville Sounds players New Orleans Zephyrs players Baseball players from Houston Peoria Saguaros players Pittsburgh Pirates players Rice Owls baseball players Surprise Rafters players Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos players Toros de Tijuana players

Amateur career

Professional career

Cleveland Indians

Pittsburgh Pirates

New York Mets

Miami Marlins

New York Mets (second stint)

Oakland Athletics

New York Mets (third stint)

Toros de Tijuana

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

Mariachis de Guadalajara

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

See also

References

External links