On Tuesday, Panamanian first baseman, second baseman, and catcher Jean Arnaez signed a contract with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hanshin Tigers, as reported by the club on their official website. Arnaez, 22, was released by the Toronto Blue Jays on July 30.
After signing with the Blue Jays as an international free agent in 2019, Arnaez began his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2021. In four seasons in minor league baseball in the Blue Jays organization, the utility man struggled on offense, hitting a measly .242 with a .604 OPS. In 2024, Arnaez played 51 games with High-A Vancouver, hitting his first two career home runs and recording 12 RBI.
“I am very happy to be able to sign a contract with the Hanshin Tigers,” Arnaez said in an announcement released by the Tigers on their website. “I am grateful to be able to play in a new environment, and I will do my best.”
Despite his struggles during the minor league baseball regular seasons, Arnaez came up clutch for the Federales de Chiriquí, the team representing Panama in the 2024 Caribbean Series at loanDepotPark in Miami, Florida, this past February. In a 4-3 win against the Naranjeros de Hermosillo of Mexico on February 3, Arnaez tied the game at three in the bottom of the ninth inning with an RBI single and later scored the winning run on a dramatic walk-off triple by center fielder Jhonny Santos. Panama finished third in the 2024 Caribbean Series, defeating Curacao 5-4 in the third-place game. Overall, they went 6-2 in their eight games in the tournament.
On Tuesday, the Panamanian Baseball Federation (Fedebeis) announced the players representing Panama in November’s WBSC Premier12. Arnaez was on Panama’s preliminary roster for the upcoming WBSC Premier12 but was left off the 28-man final roster.
Also left off Panama’s 28-man roster for the WBSC Premier12 are a pair of Panamanian pitchers with NPB experience, Javy Guerra (Hanshin Tigers) and Humberto Mejía (Chunichi Dragons).
Panama will debut in the tournament on November 9 against the Netherlands at Estadio Panamericano de Béisbol in Guadalajara, Mexico. They will compete in Group A with the Netherlands, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and the United States.
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WBN NPB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
Image Courtesy of Jean Arnaez Instagram
