Alfredo Aceves

Alfredo Aceves Martínez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 220 lb.

• Debut August 31, 2008
• Final Game June 2, 2014
• Born December 8, 1982 in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico

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Biographical Information

Alfredo Aceves was signed by scout Tony Arias for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001. After pitching 10 games for the DSL Blue Jays in 2001, his contract was sold to the Leones de Yucatán. Aceves pitched for Yucatan from 2002 to 2005 and Sultanes de Monterrey in 2006 and 2007. He then signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees for $450,000 on the recommendation of scout Lee Sigman. He was a fairly reliable hurler in the Bronx, earning a ring with the 2009 squad (10-1, 3.59 in 84 innings) before a back injury ended his 2010 season and tenure in New York.

After one year as a swingman with the Boston Red Sox, Aceves became the team's closer by default at the start of the 2012 season, following Jonathan Papelbon's departure via free agency and an injury suffered in spring training by expected successor Andrew Bailey. As 2011's set-up man, Daniel Bard, had just been converted into a starter, new BoSox manager Bobby Valentine found himself with few viable options for the job. Aceves was hot off an outstanding 2011, with a 10-2 record and 2.61 ERA in 55 games. In his first appearance on April 5th, facing the Detroit Tigers, he gave up the game-winning hit to Austin Jackson, the only batter he faced. In his second game April 8th, he came in to protect a 10-7 lead in the 9th and immediately gave up a pair of singles and a game-tying home run to Miguel Cabrera; he left again without having retired anyone. He settled down after that inauspicious start, and while his ERA remained high, he began picking up saves on a regular basis.

Not wishing to miss out on the soap opera that was the Red Sox season that year, he threw a tantrum on August 24th, when he stormed into Valentine's office to complain that the recently returned Bailey had been preferred to him in a save situation against the Kansas City Royals in that day's game. The meeting was less than friendly, and the next day, the Sox suspended him for three games for "conduct detrimental to the team". He was unavailable as the Sox promptly suffered another bullpen meltdown, blowing a 9-3 lead against the Royals to lose, 10-9, in 12 innings. Not only was he suspended, but he was also forbidden from taking the team's airplane on a trip to the West Coast after the three games, being asked to find his own way to Anaheim, but to be sure to report in time for the team's next game. The Sox also called up Bard from AAA on August 30th, and announced Aceves would be used in longer situations during the last month, with the possibility of being made a full-time starter the following year. Indeed, he went 0-1 with a 7.56 ERA in 8 September appearances, most of them in mop-up duty. He finished the season at 2-10, 5.36, racking up 25 saves in spite of his well-publicized troubles. In the 2013 World Baseball Classic, he allowed five hits and two runs in three innings for Mexico, both runs coming on a Drew Butera homer. He was also ejected from the game with Team Canada after a bench-clearing brawl.

After a couple of appearances out of the bullpen at the start of 2013, Aceves was indeed moved to the starting rotation, but the results were less than great. He did win his second start on April 17th, but that was after allowing 3 runs in 5 innings. He was smoked by the Oakland Athletics on April 23rd, giving up 8 runs in 3 1/3 innings in a 13-0 loss. His record stood at 1-1, 8.66 at that point and the Red Sox decided to send him down to the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox after the game. He would see saw up and down until being outrighted off the 40 man roster in July and electing free agency at the regular season's conclusion. Aceves failed to make the Baltimore Orioles out of spring training in 2014, signing a deal to return to the Yankees on the eve of the 2014 season and earned a promotion in May. On July 3, he was hit with a 50 game suspension after failing a drug test for recreational drugs and was released in August. He popped up in the Mexican League over the next few years, earning a suspension for the remainder of the 2015 tilt after a confrontation with an umpire.

Aceves is perhaps the only player to have had a non-trivial major league career while wearing uniform number 91. He is the brother of catcher Jonathan Aceves, his batterymate in the 2014 Caribbean Series.

Notable Achievements

• Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009

Related Sites

• Alfredo Aceves on mlb.com