Meet Red Sox infielder Eduardo Nunez
The Red Sox acquired infielder Eduardo Nunez Tuesday night with the hope that he can fill the season-long void at third base. Here’s a look at the newest member of the Red Sox.
■ Nunez, a native of the Dominican Republic, was signed as an international free agent in 2004 when he was just 16 by the New York Yankees. He was introduced to Derek Jeter at a press conference, and it was believed he would be Jeter’s eventual replacement.
■ He made his minor league debut in 2005 with the Single A Staten Island Yankees and made the All-Star-team in the New York-Penn League.
■ In 2009, he was named to the Eastern League (Double A) All-Star team after hitting .322 with eight home runs and 51 RBI in 123 games.
■ Nunez was named to the Triple A All-Star game in 2010 and won the Kevin Lawn Award as the Yankees’ minor league player of the year. He batted .289 in 118 games, with 55 runs scored, 25 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 50 RBI, and 23 stolen bases for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
■ Made his major league debut in August of 2010. He hit .280, with one home run, seven RBIs, and scored 12 runs in 30 games for the Yankees.
Eduardo Nunez, left, had hoped to be the replacement for the Yankees when Derek Jeter retired.
■ Made the Yankees Opening Day roster in 2011, primarily filling in when either Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter were injured or needed a day off. Also saw time in the outfield when Nick Swisher went down with an injury. He played 112 games that season, but led the team with 20 errors.
■ His defensive struggles continued in 2012, and he was sent back to Triple A. He was eventually called back up, and batted .292 in 82 games with the Yankees. He was added to the roster in the ALCS after Jeter fractured an ankle. Facing the Detroit Tigers, he homered off Justin Verlander for his first postseason home run.
■ With Jeter still on the DL, he was the Yankees’ 2013 Opening Day starter at short. However, a strained left oblique cut short his season. His defensive inconsistencies eventually led to the Yankees designating him for assignment in spring training of 2014.
Eduardo Nunez has struggled defensively at times, as seen here when he misplayed an infield pop up by David Ortiz last season.
■ The Minnesota Twins acquired Nunez shortly after. He spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons shuttling back and forth from Triple A to the big leagues, playing in 72 games each season for Minnesota.
■ He had a breakout season in 2016, making the Twins’ Opening Day roster as a reserve and eventually starting at short when Eduardo Escobar was injured. He stayed in the lineup when Escobar returned, then moved to third when Trevor Plouffe was injured.
■ He was named to the 2016 American League All-Star team, and batted .296 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs before he was shipped to the Giants prior to the trade deadline.
Eduardo Nunez’s career statistics
YearTeamGABRHAvg.2B3BHRRBIBBSO2010NYY30501214.2801017322011NYY1123093882.26518253022372012NYY38891426.292411116122013NYY903043879.26017432820512014Min722042651.250744245312015Min721882353.28214142012292016Min9137149110.296151124715582016SF501822449.2699342014302016Tot.14155373159.288244166729882017SF753003592.3072004291229Total 6301997259556.2781051638216109279
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