Francisco Cervelli Email & Phone Number

Retired Venezuelan baseball player Francisco Cervelli played for four teams during his 13-season Major League Baseball (MLB) career and now serves as catching instructor for the San Diego Padres. Born in Valencia, he played infield and pitched during his youth, but he transitioned to catcher after signing with the New York Yankees as an international free agent in 2003. Despite early struggles, Francisco Cervelli batted .309 in 2006 with the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League's Staten Island Yankees. By 2008, Francisco Cervelli had risen from a relatively unknown minor leaguer to the Yankees' 23rd-best prospect, according to Baseball America. Francisco Cervelli played in his first MLB game with the Yankees on September 18, 2008, after the conclusion of the minor league season. He began the 2009 season with the Class AA Eastern League's Trenton Thunder, but he was called up to the Yankees in May. Francisco Cervelli recorded his first career MLB hit on May 8 and was behind the plate for pitcher CC Sabathia's complete game shutout. He hit his first career home run the following month. A versatile catcher known for his defensive abilities, Francisco Cervelli served as the Yankees' backup to Jorge Posada and Russell Martin for multiple seasons before assuming the starting position in 2013. He hit an impressive .301 during the 2014 season but was limited to just 49 games due to a series of injuries. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in November 2014 and played parts of five seasons with the team. Following his tenure with the Pirates, Francisco Cervelli signed with the Atlanta Braves and played 14 games with the team toward the end of the 2019 season. He last played with the Miami Marlins and was forced to retire following the 2020 season after the seventh concussion of his MLB career. He concluded his career with a .268 batting average to go along with 41 home runs and 275 RBI.

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  Professional Baseball Catcher

  Atlanta Braves