Jose Lobaton, Catcher

Date of Birth: 10/21/1984
Birthplace: Acarigua, Venezuela

Jose Lobaton, catcher, was first signed by the San Diego Padres in 2003. He played in the Padres' minor league system from 2003 through 2009 before they designated him for assignment on July 28, 2009, after just 7 games with the team. The Tampa Bay Rays claimed him off waivers on July 30, 2009. He spent the rest of the 2009 season and all of the 2010 season and most of the 2011 season in the minor leagues.

In 2013, Lobaton batted .249 in 100 games with the Rays. As a catcher, he played in 96 games and he made 643 putouts with a .996 fielding percentage. He didn't do very well, however, at catching players trying to steal - he caught only 10 players while allowing 63 to steal bases.

In February, 2014, the Rays traded Lobaton to the Washington Nationals. He finished the 2014 season with 50 hits and a .234 batting average in 66 games. He didn't play with the Nationals in the postseason.

Lobaton played in just 44 games with the Nationals in 2015. He batted .199 with 27 hits. He played in 39 games in 2016 and he batted .232.

Lobaton batted just .170 in 51 games with the Nationals in 2017. Defensively, as the Nationals' catcher in 50 games, he made 20 assists, 386 putouts, and 6 errors. He caught players trying to steal 19.5% of the time. In the postseason, he had 1 hit in 2 at-bats in 1 game.

Lobaton elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets on December 15, 2017. He played in just 22 games with the Mets in 2018. He also played in 39 games in the minors.

Lobaton became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners on January 24, 2019. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 9, 2019. He played only in the minors in 2019.

The Dodgers released Lobaton on July 1, 2020. He signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on July 14th. He was released by the Cubs on September 7, 2020. He didn't play professional baseball in 2020.

The Cubs signed Lobaton to a minor league contract on February 12, 2021. He spent most of the 2021 season on the IL with a left shoulder sprain. He played in just 6 games with the Cubs and 15 games in the minors.

Lobaton became a free agent on November 3, 2021.

Personal Life

Lobaton and his wife Nina were married at the Rays' Tropicana Field on July 3, 2012.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jose Lobaton
ESPN - Jose Lobaton