Geovany Soto, Catcher


Date of Birth: 1/20/1983
Birthplace: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Geovany Soto, catcher, was first drafted in 2001 by the Chicago Cubs. He played in the Cubs' minor league system from 2001 through 2007, playing in just 30 games with the Cubs from 2005 through 2007.

Soto had an excellent first year in the major leagues, winning the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2008. That season, he batted .285 with 141 hits, 35 doubles, 23 home runs, and 86 RBIs in 141 games. As a catcher, he made 1,011 putouts and 5 errors in 136 games. He caught players trying to steal 26.6% of the time and he had a .995 fielding percentage.

The 2009 season was a disappointment for Soto and the Cubs. That year, he batted just .218 in 102 games. The next year was much better, with a .280 batting average in 105 games. However, he did not hit very well for the Cubs in the next two seasons and in July, 2012, after 52 games with a .199 batting average, they traded him to the Texas Rangers.

In 2013, Soto was the backup catcher for the Rangers. He played in just 54 games and he batted .245. As a catcher, he made 395 putouts and 2 errors with a .995 fielding percentage. In November, 2013, Soto signed a one-year, $3.05 million contract with the Rangers. After spending most of the 2014 season on the DL, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics on August 24, 2014. He finished the 2014 season with 20 hits and a .250 batting average in 10 games with the Rangers and 14 games with the Athletics.

Soto signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox on January 22, 2015. He played in 78 games with the White Sox in 2015 and he finished the season with 41 hits and a .219 batting average. As a catcher in 73 games, he made 24 assists, 398 putouts, and 5 errors. He caught players trying to steal 30% of the time and he had a .988 fielding percentage.

On November 24, 2015, Soto signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He spent time on the DL in 2016, playing in just 26 games with the Angels.

Soto became a free agent on November 3, 2016. He signed a minor league contract with the White Sox on January 10, 2017. He spent most of the 2017 season on the DL, playing in just 13 games with the White Sox.

Soto elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2017.

Career batting statistics for Soto through 2017 include:

  • 797 games played
  • 619 hits
  • 146 doubles
  • 108 home runs
  • 361 RBIs
  • 673 strikeouts to 311 walks
  • .245 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Soto as a catcher through 2017 include:

  • 763 games played
  • 363 assists
  • 5,504 putouts
  • 47 errors
  • .266 caught stealing percentage
  • .992 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Geovany Soto
ESPN - Geovany Soto