Carlos Vásquez

Carlos Augusto Vásquez Rincones

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 3", Weight 185-230 lb.
• Born December 6, 1982 in Cumaná, Sucre, Venezuela

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Carlos Vásquez is a former minor league pitcher who played from 2002 to 2011, with a couple years off in-between. This left-hander was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent in 2000.

Originally a starting pitcher, Vásquez saw some success in that role. For example, in 2000 with La Pradera of the Venezuelan Summer League, he struck out 65 batters in 62+ innings, with a 3.32 ERA. Even with those respectable statistics, his record was a poor 1 and 5. It should be kept in mind that the VSL was a low-scoring league and Vasquez was about average in ERA.

Injured during all of 2001, he went 5 and 6 with a 4.26 ERA in 15 starts for the Boise Hawks in 2002. In 2003 with the Lansing Lugnuts, he went 10 and 13 with a 3.74 ERA in 23 starts. He led the Midwest League in losses that season. 2004 fared him a little better record-wise - with the Daytona Cubs, he went 6-5 with a 3.87 ERA.

He did not play baseball in 2005 because he was suspended for steroid use, but in 2006 he was converted to a reliever, with impressive results. In 18 games for Daytona that season, he went 3 and 0 with a tiny 1.57 ERA. Upon a promotion to the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, his ERA rose a tad but he still pitched impressively for them-in 36 games with West Tenn, he struck out 60 in 50+ innings while posting a respectable 3.55 ERA. The only causes of concern might be his poor 3 and 5 record and the 13 wild pitches he threw while with West Tenn.

On November 16, 2006, Vásquez was traded with David Aardsma to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Neal Cotts. With the Sox organization in 2007, he went 4-3 with a 2.70 ERA and 4 saves between the AA Birmingham Barons and the AAA Charlotte Knights.

In 2007, he pitched for the Birmingham Barons and Charlotte Knights, going a combined 4-3 with a 2.70 ERA in 52 appearances. The following year, he pitched in the Boston Red Sox organization and went 4-1 with a 6.21 ERA, splitting the year between the Lancaster JetHawks and Portland Sea Dogs. In 2009, he final season in affiliated baseball, Vasquez went 1-1 with a 6.89 ERA in 27 relief appearances, splitting the season between the Jacksonville Suns and New Orleans Zephyrs in the Florida Marlins system.

Vasquez played for Venezuela in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

He returned to professional baseball in 2011, pitching for the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League. In 30 games (19 starts), he went 10-6 with a 3.47 ERA. He was a league All-Star that year.

Overall, he was 46-40 with a 3.82 ERA in 245 games (73 starts).

He played in the Venezuelan Winter League in 2012 and 2013.