Magneuris Sierra
Sierra with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017
Free agent
Outfielder
Born: (1996-04-07) April 7, 1996
San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
MLB debut
May 7, 2017, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
(through 2022 season)
Batting average.228
Home runs0
Runs batted in30
Teams

Magneuris Sierra (born April 7, 1996) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels. The Cardinals signed him as an international free agent in 2012 and he made his major league debut on May 7, 2017. In 2014, he was the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year after batting .386 with a .939 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).

Career

St. Louis Cardinals

Sierra signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as an international free agent in 2012. He made his professional debut in 2013 with the Dominican Summer League Cardinals. In 2014, he played for the Gulf Coast Cardinals and was named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .386 with two home runs and a .939 OPS.[1][2] Prior to the 2016 season, Baseball America ranked him as the sixth-best prospect in the Cardinals' system.[3] He spent the 2016 season with the Peoria Chiefs of the Class A Midwest League, where he hit .307 with three home runs, 60 runs batted in (RBIs) and 31 stolen bases.[4] The Cardinals added him to their 40-man roster after the season to protect him from being chosen in the Rule 5 Draft.[5]

Sierra started the 2017 season with the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. Because of injuries to José Martínez, Stephen Piscotty, and Dexter Fowler, the Cardinals called Sierra up to the majors on May 7, 2017, and started him in center field the same day in a 6−4 extra innings victory versus the Atlanta Braves.[6] His first major league hit was a single in the sixth inning of his debut versus starting pitcher R. A. Dickey.[7] After hitting safely in each of his seven games played (11-for-30), batting .367/.406/.367 .773 OPS with eight runs scored, the Cardinals optioned Sierra to the Springfield Cardinals of the Class AA Texas League.[8] After his July 15 recall, he became the first Cardinals' player to hit safely in all of his first nine games (July 16).[9]

Miami Marlins

On December 14, 2017, the Cardinals traded Sierra, along with Sandy Alcántara, Zac Gallen, and Daniel Castano, to the Miami Marlins for Marcell Ozuna.[10] MLB.com ranked Sierra as Miami's seventh best prospect going into the 2018 season.[11]

He began 2018 with the New Orleans Baby Cakes, for whom he batted .260/.287/.341 in 346 at bats. With the Marlins, he batted .190/.222/.211 in 147 at bats, and stole three bases in five attempts. He came in third to Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Roman Quinn in 2018 of all MLB players in average sprint speed, at 30.2 feet per second.[12]

Sierra spent most of the 2019 season split between the Triple-A New Orleans Baby Cakes and the Double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, but did appear in 15 major league games, notching a .350/.381/.425 batting line with 1 RBI.[13] In 19 games for the Marlins in 2020, Sierra slashed .250/.333/.364 with 7 RBI in 44 at-bats.[14]

In 2021, Sierra played in a career-high 123 games (only 43 of which he started) and batted .230/.281/.268 in 225 plate appearances. On November 3, 2021, Sierra was outrighted off of the 40-man roster.[15] Sierra became a free agent following the 2021 season.

Los Angeles Angels

On January 13, 2022, Sierra signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels.[16] He had his contract selected on July 24.

In the second inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners on August 5, Sierra nearly hit his first career home run, when he tried to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park home run and was barely thrown out at home.[17] He would go on to score the decisive run on a Taylor Ward sacrifice fly in the tenth inning as the Angels won 4–3.[18]

In a game against the Oakland Athletics on August 10, Sierra hit an RBI single in the 10th inning, then an RBI double in the 12th inning, putting the Angels on top 5–4 to win and sweep the series.[19]

In a game on August 14, Sierra was once again thrown out at home trying for his first home run, which would have been a walk-off three-run inside-the-park home run, in the ninth inning. He would later express frustration about being so close but missing out on the potential walk-off home run, saying, "I've always dreamed of having a walkoff homer. When I was rounding second, it was on my mind— 'I'm going to make it. I'm going to make my dream come true.' And then, I couldn't."[20] Instead, he had a two-run triple that tied the game, the first game-tying triple in the 9th or later by an Angel since Gil Flores in 1977,[21] forcing extra innings. The Angels would go on to win 5–3 in the 11th inning.[22] Sierra is the only active MLB position player with at least 500 plate appearances and no home runs.

In a game on September 6, in which Sierra entered as a pinch-runner, he came to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning tied 4–4 with runners at first and third and one out. He bunted for a single on the first pitch he saw off Andrew Chafin to score Andrew Velazquez and win the game.[23] It was his first career walk-off hit.[24] On September 28, the Angels designated Sierra for assignment. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A Salt Lake Bees on October 2.[25] On October 13, Sierra elected free agency.

Atlanta Braves

On January 30, 2023, Sierra signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves organization.[26] He elected free agency on November 6. [27]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sierra, Gonzales named Cardinals' top minor leaguers of 2014". FOX Sports. December 18, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  2. ↑ Connell, Jim (December 18, 2014). "Gonzales nets Cardinals' minor league honor". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  3. ↑ Manuel, John (November 16, 2015). "St. Louis Cardinals top 10 prospects". Baseball America. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Magneuris Sierra Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Cardinals add four players to fill out 40-man roster". Fox Sports. November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Cards Call Up Magneuris Sierra, Place Jose Martinez on DL". CBS St. Louis. May 7, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  7. ↑ Langosch, Jenifer (May 7, 2017). "Sierra called from Class A to replace Martinez: Outfielder gets first big league hit in series finale vs. Braves". MLB.com. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Cardinals activate Peralta, option OF Sierra". MLB.com. May 19, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Sierra making most of opportunity with Cards". MLB.com. July 16, 2017.
  10. ↑ Frisaro, Joe (December 14, 2017). "Trade finalized: Ozuna dealt for STL prospects". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  11. ↑ Rosenbaum, Mike. "Brinson leads Marlins' revamped Top 30". MLB.com. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  12. ↑ Statcast Leaderboard | baseballsavant.com
  13. ↑ "2020 Miami Marlins: The Future of Magneuris Sierra". September 22, 2019.
  14. ↑ "2020 Marlins Season Review: Magneuris Sierra". October 11, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Marlins' Magneuris Sierra: Outrighted to Triple-A". November 3, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Angels Sign Magneuris Sierra, Kyle Barraclough To Minors Deals". MLB Trade Rumors. January 13, 2022.
  17. ↑ Fletcher, Jeff (August 6, 2022). "Angels edge Mariners in 10 innings after bullpen meltdown in 9th". Orange County Register.
  18. ↑ "Angels blow late lead, rally in 10th for 4-3 win over M's". ESPN.
  19. ↑ "Sierra RBI double in 12th, Angels beat A's 5-4 for sweep".
  20. ↑ Blum, Sam. "Sam Blum on Twitter: "Magneuris Sierra on nearly having his first career homer in 585 plate appearances. "I've always dreamed of having a walkoff homer. When I was rounding second, it was on my mind — 'I'm going to make it. I'm going to make my dream come true.' And then, I couldn't."". Twitter.
  21. ↑ "Angels PR on Twitter: "Magneuris Sierra has hit the seventh game-tying triple in the 9th inning (or later) in #Angels history. The last one was hit by Gil Flores on May 16, 1977 vs. Boston."". Twitter.
  22. ↑ "Ohtani, Ward HR, Angels rally past Twins 5-3 in 11 innings". ESPN.
  23. ↑ "LA Angels blow lead, rally in 10th for 5-4 win over Tigers". ESPN.
  24. ↑ Bollinger, Rhett. "Trout sets tone with HR, but small ball wins day for Angels". MLB.com.
  25. ↑ "Angels Outright Three". yardbarker.com. October 3, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  26. ↑ "The Braves make a flurry of minor league free agent signings, including an old friend". yardbarker.com. January 30, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  27. ↑ https://www.milb.com/transactions/2023-11-06
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