Rod Barajas: Difference between revisions

Barajas was originally signed by the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] as an amateur free agent on December 23, 1996. He was immediately sent to the minor leagues. He played for the [[Lethbridge Black Diamonds]] of the [[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]] (Rk), the lowest level of the minors as a rookie, but excelled, hitting .337 in 51 games.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Minor Leagues Statistics & History|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=baraja001rod|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> He played his way to the top of the minor leagues in the Diamondbacks' system.

Barajas made his Major League debut for the Diamondbacks on September 25, 1999, against the [[San Francisco Giants]]. He was hitless in three at-bats in that game.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 25, 1999|title=Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants Box Score, September 25, 1999|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN199909250.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> He hit his first career home run in the last game of the season on October 3, 1999, against the [[San Diego Padres]], a line-drive to left-center field off of [[Heath Murray]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 3, 1999|title=San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks Box Score, October 3, 1999|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI199910030.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> He played in a total of 10 games with the Diamondbacks in 1999 and 2000. He homered twice and did not commit a single error while playing catcher.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref>

Barajas struggled at the plate in 2001, hitting just .160 in 51 games, though he only committed one error while serving as a backup for [[Damian Miller]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> He was on the Diamondbacks' World Series roster. In Game 5 of the [[2001 World Series|World Series]], he homered off [[Mike Mussina]] of the [[New York Yankees]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Muskat|first=Carrie|date=November 2, 2001|title=Yanks take series lead with another thriller|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/ws/news/ws_news_story.jsp?article=1122001-0057|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

Barajas continued to serve as a backup for Miller in 2002. In 70 games, he hit .234 with three home runs and 23 RBI.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> Despite the poor offensive numbers in 2002, Barajas did not commit a single error behind the plate. In 2003, he pulled off similar numbers in 80 games, batting just .218 with three home runs and 28 RBI.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> He became a free agent after the season.

Before {{Baseball year|2004}}, Barajas had never played more than 80 games, hit more than three home runs, or batted higher than .234 in a full season. In January 2004, the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] signed Barajas to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 14, 2004|title=Barajas signs minor league deal with Rangers|url=https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Barajas-signs-minor-league-deal-with-Rangers-8746313.php|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Plainview Daily Herald]]|language=en-US}}</ref> He won the backup catcher's job during the spring and made the team's Opening Day roster. After starting catcher [[Gerald Laird]] was sidelined with a sprained thumb, Barajas took over the starting job with Laird and [[Danny Ardoin]] serving as his backups. At the end of the season, he established career highs in games played (108), [[home run]]s (15), [[Run batted in|RBI]]s (58), and [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (.249).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> Barajas also played some first base when needed, compiling ten career games there as a defensive replacement, through the {{Baseball year|2007}} season. In 2005, he hit .254 with a career-high 21 home runs and 60 RBI in 120 games, serving as the starter once again.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> In 2006, he split time with Laird at catcher, and finished the season batting .256 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI in 97 games.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref>

In November {{Baseball year|2006}}, Barajas was originally going to sign a two-year, $5.25 million deal with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]], but he backed out of the deal at the last minute, claiming he never approved the contract, and fired both of his agents.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=December 22, 2006|title=Barajas agrees a move with the Phillies|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/12/22/baseball.barajas/index.html?eref=edition_sport|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> On December 18, 2006, it was announced that he had reached an agreement with the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] for a one-year, $2.5 million deal, worth less than half of the Blue Jays' offer a month earlier.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=December 22, 2006|title=Barajas agrees a move with the Phillies|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/12/22/baseball.barajas/index.html?eref=edition_sport|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Barajas claimed he was happy with the new deal and had no regrets. He shared time behind the plate with [[Carlos Ruiz (baseball)|Carlos Ruiz]], and batted .230 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 48 games with the Phillies.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> On October 11, 2007, the Phillies declined his option, making him a free agent.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mandel|first=Ken|date=October 11, 2007|title=Phils decline options on Nunez, Barajas|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071011&content_id=2261161&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013135403/http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071011&content_id=2261161&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi|archive-date=October 13, 2007|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Philadelphia Phillies]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

On January 24, {{Baseball year|2008}}, Barajas signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]], the team he backed out of a contract with the previous off-season, this time as the backup to incumbent catcher [[Gregg Zaun]]. Zaun had signed a two-year deal with the team only after negotiations with Barajas fell apart.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bastian|first=Jordan|date=January 24, 2008|title=Jays sign Barajas to one-year deal|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080124&content_id=2354820&vkey=hotstove2007&fext=.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128150343/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080124&content_id=2354820&vkey=hotstove2007&fext=.jsp|archive-date=January 28, 2008|access-date=September 17, 2008|website=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> Blue Jays general manager [[J. P. Ricciardi]] said he had no hard feelings towards Barajas. Zaun was supposed to be the starting catcher, but due to his poor offensive numbers and overall difficulties, manager [[Cito Gaston]] made Barajas the starter after he took over for [[John Gibbons]], and he continued in that role in 2009. He finished the 2008 season batting .249 with 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, a .294 on-base percentage, and a .410 slugging percentage over 104 games.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref>

Barajas finished the 2009 season batting .226 with 19 home runs and a career high 71 RBI in 125 games.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref>

On February 24, 2010, Barajas signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the [[New York Mets]] and was named the opening day catcher.<ref>{{Cite webmagazine|last=|first=|date=February 20, 2010|title=Barajas signs with Mets|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2010/02/20/barajas|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|websitemagazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|language=en-us}}</ref> On May 7, 2010, he hit the first walk-off home run in the history of [[Citi Field]], giving him three multi-home run games in his first five weeks as a Met.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 7, 2010|title=Mets ride long ball to win against Giants|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/300507121|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223041119/https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/300507121|url-status=livedead|archive-date=December 23, 2021|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[ESPN]]|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|language=en}}</ref> Barajas became the first Met catcher to hit 12 or more home runs since [[Mike Piazza]]'s last year with the Mets in 2005.

In his first game with Los Angeles against the [[Milwaukee Brewers]], Barajas hit two doubles and a three-run home run.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nunn|first=Alan|date=August 24, 2010|title=Dodgers amBush Brewers|url=https://journaltimes.com/sports/baseball/dodgers-ambush-brewers/article_2b0bf68a-affd-11df-94c8-001cc4c03286.html|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Racine Journal Times]]|language=en}}</ref> Barajas became the first Dodger to hit three extra-base hits in his first game with the club. In his first home game in Dodger Stadium, Barajas hit a home run in the fifth inning.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Drellich|first=Evan|date=August 31, 2010|title=Kuroda flirts with no-no in Dodgers' victory|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100830&content_id=14111762&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901145549/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100830&content_id=14111762&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|archive-date=September 1, 2010|access-date=August 31, 2010|website=[[MLB.com]]|location=Los Angeles|at=Paragraph 9|quote=Rod Barajas, 0-for-9 in his career against Halladay and a Dodger for less than a week, caught the near no-hitter and hit a fifth-inning solo homer in his Dodger Stadium debut. Barajas grew up in nearby Ontario, Calif.}}</ref>

Barajas appeared in 25 games with the Dodgers in 2010, hitting .297 with five home runs and 13 RBI.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> On December 3, 2010, he re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $3.25 million deal for 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 4, 2010|title=Dodgers sign Rod Barajas for $3.25 million|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles/dodger-thoughts/post/_/id/9654/dodgers-sign-rod-barajas-for-3-25-million|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[ESPN]]|language=en}}</ref>

In 2011, he played in 98 games with the Dodgers, hitting .230 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> He became a free agent after the season.

On November 10, 2011, Barajas signed a one-year contract with a club option for 2013 with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Langosch|first=Jenifer|date=November 10, 2011|title=Pirates, Barajas agree to one-year deal|url=http://m.mlb.com/news/article/25949478|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305033512/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/25949478|archive-date=March 5, 2016|access-date=March 5, 2016|website=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> He batted .206 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 104 games as a Pirate in 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|language=en}}</ref> The Pirates declined his 2013 option on October 31, 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Singer|first=Tom|date=October 31, 2012|title=Pirates exercise Alvarez's option, decline Barajas'|url=http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121031&content_id=40134698&vkey=news_pit&c_id=pit|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103193655/http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121031&content_id=40134698&vkey=news_pit&c_id=pit|archive-date=January 3, 2014|access-date=November 3, 2012|website=[[Pittsburgh Pirates]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

===Return toArizona Diamondbacks (second stint)===

On February 8, 2013, Barajas signed a minor- league dealcontract with the [[Arizona Diamondbacks,]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nicholson-Smith|first=Ben|date=February 10, 2013|title=Diamondbacks Sign Rod Barajas|url=http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/02/diamondbacks-to-sign-rod-barajas.html|url-status=live|access-date=February 10, 2013|website=MLB Trade Rumors}}</ref> butBarajas was released by the Diamondbacksorganization releasedprior to the start of the himseason on March 25.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dierkes|first=Tim|date=March 25, 2013|title=Diamondbacks Release Rod Barajas|url=http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/03/diamondbacks-release-rod-barajas.html|url-status=live|access-date=March 25, 2013|website=MLB Trade Rumors}}</ref>

<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cato|first=Tim|date=June 17, 2015|title=Missions manager Quirk promoted; Barajas takes over|url=http://www.expressnews.com/sports/missions/article/Missions-manager-Quirk-promoted-to-Triple-A-6332710.php|url-status=live|access-date=June 18, 2015|website=[[San Antonio Express-News]]}}</ref>

He was later the manager for the [[El Paso Chihuahuas]] AAATriple–A baseball team.

In October 2018, heBarajas was named as the bench coach for the [[San Diego Padres]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Broaddus|first=Adrian|date=October 31, 2018|title=Rod Barajas promoted as San Diego Padres Bench Coach|url=https://krod.com/rod-barajas-promoted-as-san-diego-padres-bench-coach/|url-status=live|access-date=October 11, 2019|website=[[KROD|Sports 600 ESPN]]}}</ref> On September 21, 2019, Barajas was named the interim manager for the Padres following the team's firing of [[Andy Green (baseball)|Andy Green]]. Barajas managed the Padres' last eight games of the season, going 1–7.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 21, 2019 |title=Padres interim manager Rod Barajas takes over team with eight games to go |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/rod_barajas_takes_over |access-date=October 11, 2019 |website=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]}}</ref> He was named the Padres' catching and quality control coach prior to the 2020 season.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 5, 2019 |title=Padres Announce 2020 Major League Coaching Staff |url=https://padres.mlblogs.com/padres-announce-2020-major-league-coaching-staff-12feb0a29faf |access-date=December 5, 2019 |website=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

! colspan="9"| Reference:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rod Barajas|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/barajro01.shtml|url-status=live|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref>

[[Category:PeopleBaseball players from Ontario, California]]