Michel Baez Signs With Mexican League’s Sultanes de Monterrey

Right-hander Michel Baez has signed with the Mexican League’s Sultanes de Monterrey, according to a report from Francys Romero. It will be Baez’s second stint with the club, as he pitched for Monterrey during the 2024 season as well.

Baez, 29, signed with the Padres out of Cuba prior to the 2017 season and quickly became a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport. He made his major league debut in 2019 and posted some impressive numbers out of the gate, as he pitched to a 3.03 ERA (139 ERA+) despite a 21.4% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate that led to a 4.36 FIP in 29 2/3 innings of work. Despite those potential red flags in Baez’s peripherals, his move to the bullpen ahead of his big league debut appeared to be a resounding success, and the right-hander figured to be a key part of San Diego’s bullpen mix for years to come.

Unfortunately, that’s not how things turned out. Baez would appear in just five more MLB games after 2019, three of which came during the shortened 2020 season. The right-hander was then sidelined by Tommy John surgery in 2021 and didn’t return to the big leagues until the following year, when he made two brief appearances with the Padres. Baez was designated for assignment prior to Opening Day 2023 and was outrighted to the minors shortly thereafter. He spent the entire 2023 season in the Padres’ minor league system before being released that December.

While injuries such as his aforementioned Tommy John surgery surely played a role in Baez’s struggles, it’s worth noting that the right-hander did not have much success even in the upper levels of the minors during his final seasons in affiliated ball. The righty pitched to an 8.44 ERA in 24 appearances at Triple-A back in 2022, and the 2023 campaign saw him post a 7.90 ERA at Triple-A and identical 6.75 figures at both the Double-A and High-A levels. Those brutal results were paired with lackluster peripherals, as in 2023 Baez walked 13.4% of his opponents while striking out just 17.4% throughout all levels of the minors.

Baez’s struggles in affiliated ball led him to participate in the Mexican League last year, but his first stint with Monterrey did not go especially well. The right-hander made just seven appearances with six innings of work in total, but he was shelled to the tune of a 7.50 ERA with four walks and a hit batter against five strikeouts. The club, which featured former big leaguers such as Nomar Mazara and Christian Villanueva in 2024, is surely hoping for better results from Baez this season. The right-hander is still in his 20s and has some previous big league success under his belt, so it’s certainly not impossible to imagine him fashioning himself into a useful pitcher for the Sultanes and perhaps even getting another shot in affiliated ball at some point in the future.