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Rod
Barajas |
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After spurning their offers last season, former
Cerritos College catcher Rod Barajas has agreed
to a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays for
$1.2 million, with an option to be the team’s primary
back-up in 2009. After the 2006 season, Barajas was a
free agent with the Texas Rangers, and appeared to be
headed to the Blue Jays. But, he changed his mind at the
last minute and signed a one-year deal with the
Philadelphia Phillies. After spending last year with the
Phillies, he was once again a free agent, and worked out
a deal with Toronto for the upcoming year.
In
48 games with Philadelphia, which decided against
picking up a club option to retain Barajas for 2008,
the catcher hit .230 with four home runs and 10 RBI.
He had at least 11 homers in each of the previous
three seasons with Texas. Barajas spent time on the
disabled list with a groin injury, and after the
Phillies chose to lean more on young catcher Carlos
Ruiz, he was limited to being used as a pinch-hitter
later in the year. With the Blue Jays, the
right-handed hitting Barajas will probably gain most
of his playing time against left-handed pitchers. He
may also see more innings against teams who utilize
the running game more, considering he boasts a 33.7
caught-stealing percentage over the course of his
nine big league seasons.
While playing for the Falcons
from 1994-95, Barajas was a 1st Team
All-South Coast Conference selection as a designated
hitter his freshman year and was a 2nd
Team selection as a first baseman his sophomore
campaign. He was voted the team's Most Valuable
Player as a freshman and was one of their team
captain's as a sophomore, as the team made their
last appearance in the state championship game,
where they lost to Santa Ana College. Although he
was undrafted, Barajas was signed by the Arizona
Diamondbacks at a tryout camp and was one of the
first players signed by the organization.
Back in 2001, Barajas played on
the World Champion Diamondbacks team and batted .333
with two home runs in the playoffs, including one in
the Fall Classic off New York Yankee pitcher Mike
Mussina. Barajas with Texas for three years after
playing the first five years of his career with the
Arizona Diamondbacks. In his three seasons in the
American League, Barajas ranked fourth in the league
among catchers with 47 home runs, which included a
career-high 21 home runs in 2005. |
