Jesús Aguilar has signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Oakland Athletics. San Francisco Chronicle beat writer Susan Slusser was the first to report a deal close to being complete.
It sounds as if Jesus Aguilar is set to sign with the A’s.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) January 24, 2023
Aguilar was one of the most interesting stories in the sport. He was claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers and immediately caught on for a terrific ball club. Then, Aguilar provided power, something the Brewers needed. He made the All-Star team in 2018 as he participated in the Home Run Derby. It was a clear peak in Aguilar’s career, but he’s been an above-average hitter since that campaign.
Jesús Aguilar’s Career
Aguilar was signed out of Venezuela with the Cleveland Guardians in 2007. He led the International League with 30 home runs and 92 RBI for Triple-A Columbus. He hit 68 home runs and 262 RBI with an .818 OPS in three years at that level. But he batted .172 with five RBI in 58-at bats with the Guardians before his release in February 2017.
Once he was claimed off waivers by the Brewers, he had the best season of his career, hitting 35 home runs for a team who reached the NLCS that season.
From 2018-2021, Aguilar hit .262/.339/.471 with 77 home runs and 70 doubles in 1,661 plate appearances. It was a rough season for Aguilar in 2022, who batted .236/.286/.388 with the Miami Marlins. After the All-Star break, he hit a disastrous .188/.246/.347 slash line before Miami explored the trade market to find suitors before the deadline but found no match. Aguilar was designated for assignment afterwards.
The Baltimore Orioles signed Aguilar to a minor league contract days after the Marlins released him. With his contract selected on September 1, he hit .235/.281/.379 between both teams. He’ll be entering his sixth major league season as he could be a right-handed platoon option with Seth Brown or Ryan Noda at first base. However, Aguilar’s numbers against lefties weren’t that good in 2022, where he hit .196 with a .254 OBP. Furthermore, Aguilar could slot in as the A’s DH, which could be shared with younger players such as Dermis García and Jordan Díaz. With Oakland’s latest signing, Aguilar picked the right place to maximize his potential and improve his game in 2023.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players mentioned:
Jesus Aguilar, Seth Brown, Ryan Noda, Dermis García, Jordan Díaz
