Batting average .251 Role Baseball player Nephews Jesmuel Valentin Name Javier Valentin Siblings Jose Valentin | Runs batted in 210 Weight 98 kg Home runs 45 Height 1.78 m | |
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Bisons inf javier valentin goes deep
José Javier Valentín Rosario (born September 19, 1975) is a retired catcher in Major League Baseball. From 2004-2008, he played for the Cincinnati Reds after playing with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003) and playing in four brief stints for the Minnesota Twins from 1997-2002. He is the younger brother of former Major League Baseball second baseman José Valentín. In 2005, he hit .281 with a career-high 14 home runs as a backup catcher for the Reds. He is a switch-hitter. Valentín played briefly at first base and even more infrequently at third base in his time with Cincinnati.
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Baseball career
Valentín was drafted on June 3, 1993, by the Minnesota Twins in the third round of the 1993 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut on September 13, 1997, and ended up playing three seasons for the Twins.
On November 15, 2002, the Twins traded him with Matt Kinney to the Milwaukee Brewers for Minor League prospects Gerry Oakes and Matt Yeatman. A few months later, the Brewers sent him to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Jason Conti.
After becoming a free agent, Valentín signed with the Cincinnati Reds on January 8, 2004. He remained with the Reds for the five seasons mainly as a back-up catcher and a specialized pinch hitter. He signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals on February 3, 2009, to battle with Wil Nieves to be Washington's backup catcher. However, on March 28, he was reassigned to minor league camp, declined his assignment, and opted to become a free agent.
On May 14, Valentin signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets and was assigned to Triple-A Buffalo. He was released on June 22, 2009.
