Get To Know: Catcher Jairo Rodriguez

You probably haven’t read his name in the Twins Daily Minor League reports real often. In his 10 years, Rodriguez has played in 374 games. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, the 27-year-old has played in a total of 72 games. Each season, he has played a little bit less. In 2016, he has played in a total of just six games in Chattanooga.

He has spent a lot of time on the disabled list in recent years. As a solid defensive catcher, yet not a top prospect, it is nice to have the depth that he provides for the organization at a position where it is difficult to remain healthy all season. In the minor leagues, the disabled list is a little bit more loose. In other words, the organization needs to list an injury to put them on the disabled list. Some like to call it the “Fake DL.”

Last week, when Travis Harrison was placed on Chattanooga’s DL with a concussion (sustained when he was hit by a pitch in the helmet), Jairo Rodriguez was added to the active roster. On that roster, he can catch when Stuart Turner gets a day off, or Mitch Garver gets a day at first base. Since being added to the roster ten days ago, Rodriguez has one at-bat.

Rodriguez isn’t what you’d call a prospect. He is what many people call a glue guy, an organizational. He is described as a great teammate, a hard-worker who sets a good example for his teammates. He is said to have a very high baseball IQ and is willing to help teammates, especially catchers with their game.

Jairo Rodriguez was born and raised in Acarigua, Venezuela, a city of about 300,000 people a little over 200 miles west of Caracas. He started playing baseball at a very early age.

“I was four years old when I first started playing. My brothers and I would play together.”

Soon after, he began playing more organized ball. “I played in a league called Incitos. I really enjoyed playing it.”

In 2007, he signed with the Twins. “The Twins were the only team that was interested in signing me. That made the decision easy.”

He has been a guy that the Twins have felt comfortable placing at any level. He spent one year playing in Venezuela, followed by two years in the Dominican Summer League. He came to the States in 2010 and played in the GCL. He split the 2011 season between the GCL and Elizabethton. In 2012, he played in Beloit for the full season. He traveled quite a bit in 2013. He played for Cedar Rapids, Ft. Myers and even Rochester. In 2014, he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He has spent 2015 and 2016 in Chattanooga.

It is primarily his attitude, his character and his defensive abilities that have kept him around for a decade.

“I like catching. I try to be like Ivan Rodriguez as much as I can. He is who I look up to.” He continued, speaking of what he most enjoys about the catcher position, “I would say blocking balls and helping the pitcher command the game.”

Some might get frustrated by the lack of playing time and jumping from affiliate to affiliate over the years. Rodriguez doesn’t seem to mind in the least. “I like doing that because I love baseball and whatever the Twins want me to do, I will do.”

His love of the game keeps him playing all year round. In the winters, he doesn’t take too much time off. “I go on a week’s vacation with my family every offseason, and then go play baseball in Venezuela.That’s my favorite.”

He plays for Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League. “It’s really cool because a lot of big leaguers play there, and I like playing with those guys.”

Rodriguez got the chance to live the big league life for a couple of days before the 2016 season started. Rodriguez was one of a few minor leaguers invited to travel with the Twins to Washington DC and play in the final exhibition games. Though he was the fourth catcher on the traveling squad, it was - even if unspoken - a reward for Rodriguez’s loyalty to the organization.

Making the experience even cooler, in the second exhibition game, Rodriguez came in as a pinch hitter. On the first pitch, he lined a solid single to right field. “It felt really good to get a base hit in that game. The big leagues is very different because there are a lot of superstars up there that you watch on TV.”

Rodriguez is proud to have remained in the Twins organization for a full decade. “It’s an organization that has been good to me. We have good coaching staffs, and I like that everybody plays hard with the Twins.”

Rodriguez will continue to play as long as the Twins want him back, but after that, he has some ideas. “I would love to stay in baseball and be a coach for somebody one day. Maybe even for the Twins.”

Just four players have been in the Twins system longer than Jairo Rodriguez, and I’m guessing there are several who read this article who had never heard of him. That’s too bad. Players, and people, like Jairo Rodriguez deserve to be recognized.