Eric Sogard, Second Base

Date of Birth: 5/22/1986
Birthplace: Phoenix, Arizona
College: Arizona State University

Eric Sogard, second baseman, was first drafted out of Arizona State University in 2007 by the San Diego Padres. He spent 2008 and 2009 in the minor leagues before being traded in January, 2010, to the Oakland Athletics. He again went to the minor leagues, playing in just four games with the Athletics in 2010, 27 games with them in 2011, and 37 games in 2012.

In 2014, Sogard finished second behind David Wright in the "Face of MLB" contest. He finished the season with 65 hits and a .223 batting average in 117 games.

Sogard played in 120 games with the Athletics in 2015. He finished the season with a .247 batting average, 92 hits, 12 doubles, and 37 RBIs. As a second baseman, he made 268 assists, 56 double plays, 168 putouts, and 5 errors in 96 games. He had a .989 fielding percentage.

Sogard spent the 2016 season on the DL after having knee surgery in April. He became a free agent on October 7, 2016. Two months later, on December 15th, he signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Sogard played in 94 games with the Brewers in 2017. He finished the season with 68 hits, 15 doubles, and a .273 batting average. He walked 45 times while striking out just 37 times. Defensively, he played 60 games at second base, 7 games at third base, 26 games at shortstop, and 1 game in left field.

The Brewers released Sogard on July 10, 2018. They re-signed him to a minor league contract on July 27th. He batted .134 in 55 games in 2018. He also spent time in the minors.

Sogard was released by the Brewers on September 1, 2018. He signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on December 21, 2018. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays on July 28, 2019. He finished the 2019 season with 115 hits, 23 doubles, 40 RBIs, 63 strikeouts to 38 walks, and a .290 batting average in 73 games with the Blue Jays and 37 games with the Rays. Defensively, as a second baseman in 74 games, he made 163 assists, 111 putouts, and 6 errors. In the postseason, he had 2 hits, including a home run, 2 RBIs, 1 strikeout and no walks, and a .500 batting average in 4 at-bats in 2 games.

Sogard became a free agent on October 31, 2019. He signed with the Brewers on December 20th. He played in 43 games in 2020, and he finished the season with 24 hits, 5 doubles, 10 RBIs, 20 strikeouts to 11 walks, and a .209 batting average. Defensively, he played 9 games at second base, 30 games at third base, 7 games at shortstop, and 2 games in left field. In the postseason, he had no hits in 3 at-bats in 1 game.

Sogard elected free agency on October 30, 2020. He signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on March 5, 2021. He was released on July 28th. He finished the 2021 season with 42 hits and a .249 batting average in 78 games.

Personal Life

Sogard's brother Alex is in the Arizona Diamondbacks' minor league system. He married his wife Kaycee in October, 2011, and they have one daughter.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Eric Sogard
ESPN - Eric Sogard