Anderson Espinoza

Anderson Jose Espinoza Dominguez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 160 lb.

• Debut May 30, 2022

• Born March 9, 1998 in Caracas, Distrito Federal Venezuela

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Anderson Espinoza was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela before the 2015 season. The scouts were Manny Padron and Eddie Romero. Starting his professional career at 17, he pitched that season for the DSL Red Sox 2, in the Dominican Summer League, the GCL Red Sox and the Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League. He was a combined 0-2, 1.23 in 15 starts, striking out 65 batters in 58 1/3 innings. Those early returns were quite impressive, and he immediately made baseball's various top prospect lists while drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, a Red Sox icon.

Espinoza was at Greenville again for the first half of the 2016 season and went 5-8, 4.38 in 17 starts while facing much older opposition. He was leading the circuit with 72 Ks in 76 innings when on July 14th, he was traded to the San Diego Padres in return for P Drew Pomeranz, who was just coming off an appearance in the 2016 All-Star Game. It was clear that the Red Sox were going all in to reach the postseason, and were willing to sacrifice one of the top pitching prospects in baseball in order to do so.

He moved around again before making his major league debut on May 30, 2022, as on July 30, 2021 the Padres traded him to the Chicago Cubs in return for veteran OF Jake Marisnick as part of the Cubs' infamous mid-season fire sale. His debut came in the second game of a Memorial Day doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers, when he came in in relief of Drew Smyly in the 4th inning. He worked 4 innings, giving up a run-scoring double to Rowdy Tellez in the 4th and a solo homer to Victor Caratini in the 5th, but unfortunately, that was enough to saddle him with the loss, as the Cubs wasted a golden opportunity to tie the score in the bottom of the 7th, unable to cash in on a bases loaded, none out situation while trailing 2-1. They ended up losing the game, 3-1, as a result. He was one of three Cubs players to make their major league debut that day, following Matt Swarmer who had started the opener, and Nelson Velázquez who started both games in right field, while Ethan Small had made his debut for the Brewers facing off against Swarmer in the first game.

Related Sites

• Anderson Espinoza on mlb.com
• BR Minors page