Tag Archives: Emilio Bonifacio

Melky Cabrera Helps Lead the Dominican Republic Past Venezuela for Final Olympic Baseball Berth

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Melky Cabrera is headed to the Tokyo Games…

The 36-year-old Dominican baseball player, nicknamed The Melkman, sparked a comeback from a three-run deficit with a two-run homer to help lead the Dominican Republic past Venezuela 8-5 on Saturday and win the final qualifier at Puebla, Mexico.

Melky Cabrera

In the process, the Dominican Republic claimed the final Olympic baseball berth for the COVID-19-postponed 2020 Tokyo Games.

Former Kansas City Royals infielder Ramon Torres hit a go-ahead infield single in a six-run fourth inning for the Dominicans, who joined host Japan, the United States, Israel, Mexico and South Korea at the Olympics. The baseball tournament will be played from July 28 to August 7 in Fukushima and Yokohama.

Baseball, dropped from the Olympics after 2008, was restored for the Tokyo Games and is being dropped again for 2024, though it is likely to be added for Los Angeles in 2028.

Players on 40-man Major League Baseball rosters are not eligible.

San Francisco prospect Diego Rincones put Venezuela ahead with a three-run homer in the second inning off Radhames Liz, whose last major league appearance was with Pittsburgh in 2015.

Emilio Bonifacio walked off starter Yapson Gomez with two outs in the third, and Cabrera, a 15-year big league veteran, greeted former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Eduardo Paredes with a two-run homer.

Juan Francisco singled leading off the fourth and Milwaukee Brewers prospect Harold Chirino relieved. Boston prospect Johan Mieses singled, Diego Goris followed with a tying double and Torres singled for a 4-3 lead.

Charlie Valerio‘ had an RBI single, Gustavo Nunez hit a two-run single and Bonifacio added a sacrifice fly for an 8-3 lead.

Former big leaguer Dario Alvarez pitched a hitless fourth for the win.

Milwaukee prospect Alexander Palma singled in a run in the seventh off former Arizona prospect Luis Castillo, and Danry Vasquez hit an RBI double with two outs in the ninth off Jairo Asencio before Palma’s game-ending groundout.

The Netherlands was eliminated Friday. Australia, China and Taiwan withdrew from the final qualifier citing the coronavirus pandemic.

Bonifacio Agrees to Minor League Deal with the Chicago Cubs

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It didn’t take long for Emilio Bonifacio to return back to the baseball field…

The 28-year-old Dominican professional baseball player, who has released by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, has just signed a minor lead deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Emilio Bonifacio

Bonifacio, an experienced infielder/outfielder, played for the Toronto Blue Jays and Royals last season, appearing in 136 games while batting .243 with three home runs and 31 RBIs.

Bonifacio, a switch-hitter, has a career .262 batting average in seven major league seasons.

Bonifacio, who had 28 stolen bases last season, has also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Washington Nationals and the Florida Marlins/Miami Marlins.

Infante Reportedly Agrees to Lucrative Multi-Year Deal with the Royals

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Omar Infante has landed a royal deal…

The 31-year-old Venezuelan free agent infielder has reportedly agreed to a four-year deal worth about $30 million with the Kansas City Royals, according to ESPN.

Omar Infante

Infante, who turns 32 later this month, hit .318 with 10 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .795 OPS for the Detroit Tigers last season.

The 2010 All-Star selection will provide the Royals with a versatile infielder. The 12-year veteran has played 60 percent of his Major League Baseball (MLB) games at second base and a combined 23 percent at shortstop and third. He’s also seen limited action in the outfield.

His bat also should give a boost to Kansas City, whose middle infielders combined for an OPS of .574 this past season, dead last in baseball, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The New York Yankees also were in the hunt for Infante, with a source telling ESPN earlier this week that they offered him a three-year, $24 million deal.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore has said throughout the offseason that upgrading at second base was a priority. Kansas City used six players at the position last season — Emilio Bonifacio, Jamey Carroll, Chris Getz, Johnny Giavotella, Elliot Johnson and Miguel Tejada — and they combined to hit .243 with just four home runs.

The fallback plan for the Royals was to go into next season with Bonifacio as their primary second baseman, but he’ll likely become a utilityman now.

The Royals are certainly familiar with Infante from having watched him play for their AL Central rival Detroit. Infante came up with the Tigers in 2002, and then was traded to the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves before landing back in Detroit two years ago, when he helped the Tigers win an American League pennant.

Infante is batting .279 with 74 homers and 421 RBIs over his 12-year career. He’s never played more than 149 games in a season, and missed more than a month last year with an ankle injury that occurred when the Toronto Blue Jays‘ Colby Rasmus slid aggressively into his leg.