Michael Anthony Avilés '' h-vee-les'' (born March 13, 1981) is an American former 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 tea ...

utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water polo. The ...

. He 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

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 ...

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

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 F ...

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

and

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 ...

. Over the course of his career, Aviles has played every position except for

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 ...

and

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

Amateur career

Avilés was born in New York City to a Puerto Rican family, and raised in the Castle Hill section of the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

. Aviles later moved with his family to Middletown, New York shortly before starting high school, graduating from Middletown High School in 1999. Aviles was a Division II All-American shortstop at Concordia College, in

Bronxville, New York Bronxville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States, located approximately north of Midtown Manhattan. It is part of the town of Eastchester. The village comprises one square mile (2.5 km2) of land in its entirety, a ...

, and was named Division II Player of the Year in 2003, after hitting .500 with 83 runs, 22

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 65

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

(RBI) in 45 games. In 2002, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Brook ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

Professional career

Minor leagues

Aviles was chosen in the seventh round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals and offered an "insulting" $1,000 signing bonus. He spent with the

Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. ...

in 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 ...

and with the

Wichita Wranglers The Wichita Wranglers were a minor league baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team, which played in the Texas League, was the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1994 and the Kansas City Royals fro ...

in the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. He then spent and with the

Omaha Royals Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County, Nebraska, Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. List of ...

of the

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

, becoming the Royals' Minor League Player of The Year in 2007. He started in the minors,

batting Batting may refer to: * Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs * Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...

.338 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI in 50 games with Omaha.

Major leagues

Kansas City Royals

Avilés was called up from Triple-A on May 29, 2008, to replace

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

Billy Butler on the roster. He finished his rookie season with a .325 batting average in 102 games, with 10 home runs and 51 RBI. If Avilés had recorded a sufficient number of

plate appearances In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...

to qualify for the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

(AL) batting title, his .325 average would have ranked third among all AL

hitter In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher. The three main goals of batters are to become a baserunner, to driv ...

s and sixth-best in the major leagues. On November 11, 2008, the Royals named Avilés their 2008 Player of the Year. Avilés finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year standings, ending in fourth place behind

Evan Longoria Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2008 through 2017, and the S ...

Alexei Ramírez Alexei Fernando Ramírez Rodriguez (born September 22, 1981) is a Cuban former professional baseball shortstop. He has played for the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays in MLB and Pinar del Rio of the Cuban National Serie ...

and

Jacoby Ellsbury Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( ; born September 11, 1983) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 through 2013 and then played for the New York Yankees from 2 ...

Avilés strained his arm playing with

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

during the

2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on 5 9 and finished 5 26. Unlike in 2006, when the round-robin format of the first two rounds led to some eliminations being decided by run-difference ti ...

, which necessitated

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 ...

in June that ended his 2009 season. Avilés began the season as the Royals' starting third baseman but was optioned to Omaha when the Royals decided to call up top prospect

Mike Moustakas Michael Christopher Moustakas (; born September 11, 1988) is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cincinnati Reds. Moust ...

Boston Red Sox

On July 30, 2011, the Royals traded Aviles to the Red Sox for shortstop

Yamaico Navarro Yamaico Navarro Pérez (born October 31, 1987) is a Dominican professional baseball infielder for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburg ...

and pitching prospect Kendal Volz. Aviles hit his first home run as a member of the Red Sox on September 16. He hit the ball so hard that it put a hole through the

Sports Authority Sports Authority, Inc. (formerly The Sports Authority) was an American sports retailer. At its peak, Sports Authority operated 463 stores in 45 States and Puerto Rico. The company's website was on the GSI Commerce platform and supported the reta ...

sign on the

Green Monster The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. The wall is from home plate and is a popular target for right-handed hitters. Overview The wall was part ...

. Avilés became the starting shortstop for the Red Sox in 2012 after

Marco Scutaro Marcos Scutaro, better known as Marco Scutaro, (; born October 30, 1975) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder. He bats and throws right-handed. Scutaro made his major league debut with the New York Mets in 2002, and subsequentl ...

and

Jed Lowrie Jed Carlson Lowrie (born April 17, 1984) is an American professional baseball infielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics and New York Mets. Early life Lowri ...

were traded. On May 19 and 20, 2012, he hit leadoff home runs in back-to-back games. On October 21, 2012, the Red Sox traded Aviles and cash considerations to the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

for pitcher

David Carpenter David Joseph Carpenter (born May 6, 1930), a.k.a. The Trailside Killer, is an American serial killer and serial rapist known for stalking and murdering a variety of individuals on hiking trails in state parks near San Francisco, California. He ...

and the release of manager John Farrell from the final year of his contract.

Cleveland Indians

Andre Knott and Mike Aviles Minute Maid Park 2015

On November 3, 2012, the Blue Jays announced that they had traded Aviles and

Yan Gomes Yan Gomes (; ; born July 19, 1987) is a Brazilian-American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals and Oakland Ath ...

to the

for

Esmil Rogers Esmil Antonio Rogers (born August 14, 1985) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Mariachis de Guadalajara of the Mexican League. He previously played in the KBO League for the Hanwha Eagles and Nexen Heroes, and in the Chinese Pr ...

. On February 7, 2013, Aviles avoided arbitration with the Indians, agreeing to a two-year, $6 million deal with a club option for 2015. In 2013 and 2014, Aviles was versatile on defense. He played six positions in 2014, spending no more than 28 games at any position. He did not make a single error during the entire 2014 season. After the 2014 season, an ''

SB Nation ''SB Nation'' (an abbreviation for their full name ''SportsBlogs Nation'') is a sports blogging network owned by Vox Media. It was co-founded by Tyler Bleszinski, Markos Moulitsas, and Jerome Armstrong in 2005. The blog from which the network ...

'' article described him as a below-average hitter. Aviles had 1623 plate appearances between 2011 and 2014. Of the 170 players with at least that many plate appearances, Aviles had the lowest

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

(.281). During the 2015 season he hit .231 with five home runs and 17 RBI in 98 games.

Detroit Tigers

On December 18, 2015, the

signed Avilés to a one-year contract. He batted .210 in 68 games for the Tigers. On August 16, 2016, the Tigers traded Avilés and Kade Scivicque to 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 ...

in exchange for

Erick Aybar Erick Johan Aybar (born January 14, 1984) is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres ...

. He 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 ...

the next day. On August 21, 2016, the Braves released Aviles.

Miami Marlins

The

signed Avilés to a minor league contract on May 10, 2017. They promoted Avilés to the major leagues on May 12. He was designated for assignment on May 17.

Personal life

Avilés is married to Jessy Poulsen and the couple have twin girls and a son. He also has a daughter with his ex-wife. In 2015, one of his twin daughters was diagnosed with

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

. His uncle,

Ramón Avilés Ramón Antonio Avilés Miranda (January 22, 1952 – January 27, 2020) was a Puerto Rican backup infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox (1977) and Philadelphia Phillies (1979–1981). He batted and threw right-han ...

, was also a

with the Boston Red Sox (1977) and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

(1979–1981).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aviles, Mike 1981 births Living people American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent Arizona League Royals players Boston Red Sox players Brewster Whitecaps players Cleveland Indians players Concordia Clippers baseball players Detroit Tigers players Kansas City Royals players Leones de Ponce players Major League Baseball infielders Miami Marlins players New Orleans Baby Cakes players Omaha Royals players Omaha Storm Chasers players People from Middletown, Orange County, New York Sportspeople from the Bronx Baseball players from New York City Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Wichita Wranglers players Wilmington Blue Rocks players 2009 World Baseball Classic players 2013 World Baseball Classic players 2017 World Baseball Classic players