Enmanuel Valdez

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Enmanuel Valdez

|image = Enmanuel_Valdez_on_the_infield,_September_4,_2024_-_001_(cropped).jpg

|caption = Valdez with the Red Sox in 2024

|team = Pittsburgh Pirates

|number = 48

|position = Second baseman / First baseman

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|12|28}}

|birth_place = San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic

|bats = Left

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = April 19

|debutyear = 2023

|debutteam = Boston Red Sox

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = April 18, 2025

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .235

|stat2label = Home runs

|stat2value = 13

|stat3label = Runs batted in

|stat3value = 56

|teams =

Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|2023}}–{{mlby|2024}})
Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|2025}}–present)

}}

Enmanuel Valdez (born December 28, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball second baseman and first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox, with whom he made his MLB debut with in 2023.

Career

=Houston Astros=

Valdez signed with the Houston Astros as an international free agent on July 2, 2015.{{cite web | url=https://www.kiiitv.com/article/sports/hooks-baseball-american-dream/503-13a6b54f-cd21-44ea-a5a5-5e61052c85c2 | title=Hooks Baseball: The American Dream | date=April 9, 2022 }} He made his professional debut in 2016 with the Dominican Summer League Astros. He played 2017 with the Gulf Coast League Astros and Greeneville Astros, 2018 with the Tri-City ValleyCats, and 2019 with the Quad Cities River Bandits and Fayetteville Woodpeckers.

Valdez did not play in 2020 due to cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|title=2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-canceled|access-date=March 18, 2023|website=mlb.com|language=en}} He returned in 2021 to play for the Asheville Tourists and Corpus Christi Hooks. He started 2022 in Double-A with Corpus Christi.{{cite web | url=https://www.caller.com/story/sports/local/baseball/corpus-christi-hooks/2022/05/29/enmanuel-valdez-providing-spark-corpus-christi-hooks/9929737002/ | title=Hooks' Enmanuel Valdez providing spark in first complete season with Corpus Christi }} and was later promoted to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys of Triple-A.

=Boston Red Sox=

File:EnmanuelValdez.jpg

On August 1, 2022, Valdez and Wilyer Abreu were traded to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Christian Vázquez.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/christian-vazquez-astros-trade|title=Astros add backstop depth in deal for Vázquez|website=MLB.com}} Valdez finished the season with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=valdez000enm |title=Enmanuel Valdez Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=April 19, 2023}}

On November 10, 2022, the Red Sox added Valdez to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-add-five-players-to-40-man-roster | title=Versatile No. 3 prospect highlights Sox's 40-man adds | website=MLB.com }} During the offseason, he played in the Dominican Winter League for Toros del Este. He was optioned to Worcester to begin the 2023 season.{{Cite web|title=Red Sox's Enmanuel Valdez: Optioned to Triple-A|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/red-soxs-enmanuel-valdez-optioned-to-triple-a/amp/|access-date=March 15, 2023|website=cbssports.com|language=en}}

On April 19, 2023, Valdez was promoted to the major leagues for the first time after Yu Chang was placed on the paternity list.{{Cite web|title=Red Sox's Enmanuel Valdez: Gets big-league call-up|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/red-soxs-enmanuel-valdez-gets-big-league-call-up/amp/|access-date=April 19, 2023|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} Valdez made his MLB debut that evening, against the Minnesota Twins, and recorded two hits.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401471290 |title=Twins vs. Red Sox |website=ESPN.com |date=April 19, 2023 |accessdate=April 19, 2023}} He was optioned back to Worcester the next day,{{cite news |url=https://bloggingtheredsox.com/2023/04/20/red-sox-reinstate-yu-chang-from-paternity-list-option-enmanuel-valdez-to-triple-a-worcester/ |title=Red Sox reinstate Yu Chang from paternity list, option Enmanuel Valdez to Triple-A Worcester |first=Brendan |last=Campbell |website=bloggingtheredsox.com |date=April 20, 2023 |accessdate=April 21, 2023}} then recalled on April 25 when Chang went on the injured list due to a hand injury.{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/36290963/red-sox-yu-chang-expected-several-weeks-hamate-fracture |title=Red Sox's Yu Chang could miss 6 weeks with fracture in hand |website=ESPN.com |date=April 25, 2023 |accessdate=April 26, 2023}} Valdez remained with the Red Sox until being optioned back to Worcester on June 9.{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/06/09/red-sox-notebook-troubling-chris-sale-update-headlines-slew-of-roster-moves/ |title=Red Sox notebook: Troubling Chris Sale update headlines slew of roster moves |first=Gabrielle |last=Starr |website=Boston Herald |date=June 9, 2023 |accessdate=June 9, 2023}} He was recalled to Boston on September 1, when major-league rosters expanded to 28 players, optioned back on September 12, and recalled again on September 22.{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/redsox/roster/transactions/2023/09 |title=Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions |website=MLB.com |publisher=Boston Red Sox |date=September 2023 |accessdate=September 24, 2023}}

Valdez made 76 appearances for Boston in 2024, slashing .214/.270/.363 with six home runs and 28 RBI. On December 11, 2024, Valdez was designated for assignment by the Red Sox.{{cite news |title=Red Sox make deal with Yanks to acquire catcher Narvaez for RHP prospect |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/carlos-narvaez-red-sox-yankees-trade |access-date=March 29, 2025 |work=MLB.com |date=December 11, 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Christopher |title=Red Sox acquire catcher in trade with Yankees, DFA Enmanuel Valdez |url=https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2024/12/red-sox-acquire-catcher-in-trade-with-yankees-dfa-enmanuel-valdez.html |access-date=March 29, 2025 |publisher=MassLive |date=December 11, 2024}}

=Pittsburgh Pirates=

On December 15, 2024, Valdez was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Joe Vogatsky.{{cite news |title=Pirates acquire Enmanuel Valdez in trade with Red Sox |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/42985503/pirates-acquire-enmanuel-valdez-trade-red-sox |access-date=December 16, 2024 |work=ESPN.com |date=December 15, 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Stumpf |first1=Alex |title=Pirates acquire IF/OF Valdez from Red Sox |url=https://www.mlb.com/pirates/news/enmanuel-valdez-traded-to-pirates |access-date=December 16, 2024 |work=MLB.com |date=December 15, 2024}} He was optioned to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians to begin the 2025 season.{{Cite web|title=Pirates make 2nd round of spring training cuts|url=https://community.triblive.com/news/3750386|access-date=March 18, 2025|website=community.triblive.com|language=en}}