Robert Alexander Zárate Ladera (born February 1, 1987) is a Venezuelan 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 ...

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 ...

who is a free agent. From 2012 through 2013, he pitched for the

Hanshin Tigers The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railway ...

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 ...

(spending most of both seasons with Hanshin's Western League ''ni-gun'' team).

Career

Toronto Blue Jays

Zárate signed a minor league contract with 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 ...

on January 26, 2005. Zárate played for the Blue Jays minor league system through the 2008 season. He began 2009 with the

GCL Blue Jays The Florida Complex League Blue Jays are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. The team plays it ...

. The Blue Jays released Zárate on April 15, 2009.

Hanshin Tigers

Zárate played for the

in 2012. He made his NPB debut on August 5, 2012. He also played the 2013 season for Hanshin before becoming a free agent after the season.

Gunma Diamond Pegasus

Zárate joined the

Gunma Diamond Pegasus The are a semi-professional baseball team in the Baseball Challenge League of Japan. The team was established as part of the expansion of the league, and began play in the 2008 season. Their home is Gunma Prefecture. Franchise history The Di ...

of Japan's Baseball Challenge League for the 2014 season. He was scouted by the Rays after spending 2014 with the Pegasus.

Tampa Bay Rays

On January 21, 2015, Zárate signed a minor league contract with 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) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

that included an invitation to Spring Training. He elected free agency on November 6, 2015.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 7, 2015, Zárate signed a minor league deal with the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

organization that included an invitation to Spring Training. He spent the 2016 season with the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...

before his release on June 13, 2016.

Cleveland Indians

On January 4, 2018, Zarate signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with 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 F ...

. He pitched for the Triple-A

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...

, appearing in 29 games as a reliever and finishing with a 3-1 record, 3.30 ERA, and 40 strikeouts. He was released by the organization on July 23, 2018.

Toros de Tijuana

On July 27, 2018, Zárate 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 Mexican Baseball League.

Leones de Yucatán

He was traded to the Leones de Yucatán on August 15, 2018. He became a free agent following the season. On January 28, 2020, Zárate signed with the

Rieleros de Aguascalientes The Rieleros de Aguascalientes (English: Aguascalientes Railroaders) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Aguascalientes, Mexico. History Baseball arrived in Aguascalientes in hand with the railroad at the beginning o ...

of the Mexican League. Zárate 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 identif ...

. He later became a free agent.

References

External links

1987 births Living people Cardenales de Lara players Charlotte Stone Crabs players Columbus Clippers players Dominican Summer League Blue Jays players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Durham Bulls players Gulf Coast Blue Jays players Hanshin Tigers players Leones de Yucatán players Mexican League baseball pitchers Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Valencia, Venezuela Tigres de Aragua players Toros de Tijuana players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Japan Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States {{Venezuela-baseball-pitcher-stub