Eduardo Núñez

[William Malone]

Eduardo Michelle Núñez Méndez was born on June 15, 1987 in the Dominican Republic.

The New York Yankees signed him as an international free agent in 2004. He made his Major League debut for them in 2010. Núñez played four seasons for the Yankees as a utility player, batting .267 with ten home runs and 76 RBI over 270 games. He was designated for assignment at the end of spring training in 2014. The Minnesota Twins acquired him via trade, sending pitching prospect Miguel Sulbaran to the Yankees.

Núñez slashed .250/.271/.382 in 72 games during his first season with Minnesota. He hit four home runs with 24 RBI, and stole nine bases. Núñez logged double digit starts at shortstop, third base and left field.

He played in exactly 72 games again during the 2015 campaign, but it came with improved offensive production. Núñez slashed .282/.327/.431. This gave him an OPS+ above 100 for the first time in his career. His time at shortstop increased after Opening Day starter Danny Santana struggled, allowing Núñez to split time there with fellow utility man Eduardo Escobar.

Escobar won the shortstop job in camp the following spring, and Núñez struggled to find playing time early on in 2016. He started just one of the Twins first ten games, but soon found regular at-bats after third baseman Trevor Plouffe was placed on the disabled list in mid-April. Núñez quickly became a bright spot in what was becoming one of the worst seasons in franchise history. He hit .339 between April 15th and May 3rd with Plouffe sidelined, taking over as the everyday shortstop after Plouffe returned to the lineup.

Núñez was the Twins lone representative at the 2016 All-Star Game. He entered the break batting .321 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI across 78 games. His 22 stolen bases were also third in the American League in the first half of play. Núñez was a ninth inning defensive replacement at second base during the mid-summer classic, helping turn a game ending double play to lock down a 4-2 win for the American League.

He continued to serve as the Twins regular shortstop until the trade deadline, when interim general manager sent him to the San Francisco Giants for pitching prospect Adalberto Mejía. Núñez became their starting third baseman, but wasn't able to repeat his first half success down the stretch. San Francisco wound up starting Conor Gillaspie over Núñez in the postseason. Núñez was 0-for-3 as a pinch hitter that October.

The Giants traded Núñez to the Boston Red Sox at the deadline in 2017. He stayed in Boston through 2019, slashing .268/.293/.401 over parts of three seasons for the Red Sox. They won the World Series in 2018. Núñez hit a pinch hit three run homer against Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Alex Wood in game one of that World Series, helping Boston win the game 8-4.

He played for the New York Mets in 2020, and finished his career by spending 2021 in the Chinese league.

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