Full Name: Yangervis Alfredo Solarte
Name (Japanese): ヤンハービス・ソラーテ
Date of Birth: July 3, 1987
Positions: SS, 2B, OF
Height: 180 cm (5’11”)
Weight: 93 kg (205 lbs)
Throws/Bats: Right / Switch
Wore #: 42
Made MLB Debut With: New York Yankees (April 2, 2014)
Made Tigers Debut on: July 26, 2019
Released by Tigers on: September 9, 2019
Cheer Song:
Career NPB Stats:
| YR | Team | AVG | GP | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | R | K | BB | HBP | S | SF | SB | CS | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS | RISP | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Tigers | .188 | 20 | 80 | 69 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .275 | .406 | .681 | .091 | 4 |
| Career | .188 | 20 | 80 | 69 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .275 | .406 | .681 | .091 | 4 |
Brief Biography:
After signing with the Twins at age 18, Solarte bounced from them to the Rangers to the Yankees over the course of eight years. He made his debut with the Yankees in 2014, starting hot but ultimately being sent down to the farm as Zelous Wheeler (later Rakuten Golden Eagles) took his place. He then bounced to the San Diego Padres at the end of 2014 and stayed with them through the 2017 season. During that time, he lost his wife to cancer but was an inspiration to fans and teammates, and he won the Tony Conigliaro Award in 2016 for “overcoming an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage that were trademarks of Conigliaro.”
He played with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018, and wore out his welcome after a lack of hustle led fans to turn on him. He tried to make things work with the San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins in 2019, but all he got through three months of baseball was 28 mediocre games with the Giants. He was released by the Marlins on July 6, and one day later…
Hanshin signed him to a deal that was meant to last through the end of 2019 and possibly beyond. He arrived in Japan on July 21, suited up for the farm team just three days later, and after a single-game tune-up, was called up to the top squad for a series against the Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome. He batted second and started at shortstop. In that very game in the top of the seventh, he belted a huge go-ahead two-run home run, sending the media, fans and management into a frenzy. Four days after that, at home against the Chunichi Dragons, he hit two home runs in one night: one was the 8000th home run in club history, and the other was among the more dramatic long flies of 2019 (turn your audio ON):
But after that, things went south. He struggled through the first half of August, hitting one home run while his average dropped below the Mendoza Line. Farmed on August 19, he spent two productive weeks waiting for a call-up, and got one on September 6. What happened next is fuzzy, but the media (as per management) said he told the manager he “wasn’t motivated to play” anymore. Check the top two “related articles” below for details.
TL;DR = He wasn’t treated with dignity, was allegedly told he would start the first game or two on the bench, and didn’t like that decision.
He returned to Kobe, where (apparently) he packed up his belongings and left the country on September 9.
Solarte signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves for 2020.
Related Articles:
The Fallout After Solarte’s Departure (September 12, 2019)
Solarte Adds Name to Infamous Gaijin List (September 7, 2019)
Episode 103 – Solarte and the Gaijin Problem (September 3, 2019)
Toreba no Toraba – Solarte Has Brazilian in Dubai’s Approval (July 22, 2019)
Solarte Meets the Press (July 23, 2019)
Rumor: Hanshin About to Sign Marlins’ Solarte (July 6, 2019)