(March 3, 2020) — The York Revolution announced a trio of additional signings yesterday, including left-handed reliever Edward Paredes, who returns to York for the first time since 2015. Right-hander Alberto Rodriguez and infielder Chris Vasquez will both make their Revs debut this season. The signings were announced by Revs manager Mark Mason live on Monday’s Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 AM WOYK.
Paredes, 31, enters his fourth season as a member of the Revolution. The left-hander was previously part of the Revs from 2013-2015. In three seasons with York, Paredes had a 9-6 record and a career 3.00 ERA. In 141.0 bullpen innings across 131 total appearances, the Dominican Republic native earned 152 strikeouts. With each season, Paredes saw his role in the Revs’ bullpen grow, finishing with 33 games in 2013, 43 in ’14, and 55 in ’15.
Signed by the Seattle Mariners in 2005 as an amateur free agent, Paredes pitched for six seasons in the Mariners system, reaching as high as Triple-A Tacoma. The 6-foot southpaw also spent time in the Cleveland Indians organization before signing with York early in the 2013 season. Following his 2015 season with York, Paredes signed with the Los Angeles Angels organization. After a season at Double-A Arkansas, the Detroit Tigers signed Paredes as a free agent but lost him to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft.
On July 21, 2017, the lefty received the call-up to join the Dodgers’ Major League club. Paredes earned the win in his first appearance with a scoreless eighth inning in a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium. In two seasons with the Dodgers, Paredes was 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA. In his pro career, the 14-year veteran is 60-56 with a 3.92 ERA and has 879 strikeouts in 714 career appearances.
“Eddie has been an outstanding reliever for us and after three years finally got his big break with the Dodgers and took full advantage of it,” said Mason. “Hopefully he’ll have the same success here again and get another opportunity like that. When you have a pedigree like he does and come in here and put up good numbers, there’s a good chance of getting snatched up.”
Rodriguez, 28, enters his fifth season of professional baseball in the United States. The right-hander is no stranger to the Atlantic League, having pitched for Sugar Land in part of 2017 and the Road Warriors in 2018. With the Skeeters, Rodriguez went 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three starts. With the Road Warriors, he made nine more starts and posted two wins while striking out 41 in 47.1 innings.
Rodriguez was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. In two seasons in the Royals system, the La Habana, Cuba, native was 6-1 with a 4.93 ERA in 29 total appearances. He earned five wins and sported a 3.39 ERA in 21 outings (13 starts) in the American Association before advancing to the Atlantic League. As a pro, the 6-foot-1 pitcher is 17-19 with a 4.82 ERA in 77 games (36 starts), racking up 237 strikeouts in 274.1 innings.
“He’s a bona fide starter and a guy that I really thought had terrific stuff,” remarked Mason. “I talked to some scouts from a workout he recently attended and they said his stuff was dynamite, so the reports were really good from there. He’s excited and is ready to come play. He loved playing against us and loved the ballpark, and we’re excited to get him on board.”
Vazquez enters his first season with the Revolution. The former standout at the University of South Carolina Beaufort was a career .317 hitter with the Sand Sharks. Making 91 starts with innings at second, short, and third, Vazquez drove in 61 runs and stole 30 bases. As a senior, Vazquez led USCB in triples and was second in runs scored and third in stolen bases. The Orlando, FL, native graduated with a degree in Business Management.
“He has a cannon of an arm, can make the throw from everywhere on the field, and can cover a lot of ground,” commented Mason. “He’s a really versatile defensive infielder. He’s been at a lot of workouts for Major League organizations this winter and was recommended to bring him in to see what he can do here and give them a chance to follow him.”
The Revs will unveil more signings each week on Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy on SportsRadio 98.9 FM and 1350 WOYK. The next airing will be on Monday, March 9, at 6 p.m., and available online at www.989woyk.com and on The New WOYK app.