José Cuas

José Luis Cuas (kwas;[1] born June 28, 1994) is a Dominican-American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022 with the Kansas City Royals.

José Cuas
Cuas with Royals in 2023
Chicago Cubs – No. 74
Pitcher
Born: (1994-06-28) June 28, 1994
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 31, 2022, for the Kansas City Royals
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Win–loss record7–4
Earned run average3.84
Strikeouts105
Teams

Amateur career

Cuas attended Grand Street Campus High School in Brooklyn, New York.[2] Cuas was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 40th round of the 2012 MLB draft but did not sign. He attended the University of Maryland where he played college baseball for the Terrapins.[3] In 2014, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[4] Cuas was a three-year starter as an infielder at Maryland, and enjoyed his best season as a junior in 2015, hitting .242/.329/.442/.771 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI.[5] He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the 2015 MLB draft and signed with them.[6]

Professional career

Milwaukee Brewers

Cuas spent his debut season of 2015 with the rookie–level Helena Brewers, hitting .260/.319/.430/. with 7 home runs and 40 RBI. He spent the 2016 season with the High–A Brevard County Manatees, playing in 120 games and hitting .170/.263/.240 with 4 home runs and 27 RBI. Cuas split the 2017 season between the Single–A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and the High–A Carolina Mudcats, hitting a cumulative .187/.277/.321 with 5 home runs and 28 RBI.[7]

Cuas was converted to a pitcher prior to the 2018 season.[8] He opened the season with Wisconsin, going 2–0 with an 8.38 ERA over 19+1⁄3 innings before being released on July 10.[9]

Long Island Ducks

Cuas signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and finished the 2018 season with them, going 2–1 with a 2.38 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 22+2⁄3 innings. Cuas opened the 2019 season back with Long Island.

It was with the Ducks that Cuas began pitching sidearm. Cuas had been throwing sidearm while warming up until, on the advice of Ducks teammate Francisco Rodríguez, he began to work on throwing sidearm full-time.[10]

Arizona Diamondbacks

On May 25, 2019, Cuas was signed to a minor league contract by the Arizona Diamondbacks.[11] Between the Low-A Hillsboro Hops, the Single-A Kane County Cougars, and the High-A Visalia Rawhide, Cuas posted a combined 6–3 record with a 1.60 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 45 innings.[7][12] Cuas was released by Arizona on May 22, 2020, and did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] Cuas took a job as a FedEx delivery driver during the day and trained with his younger brother in a park in Brooklyn at night.[10]

Long Island Ducks (second stint)

On April 16, 2021, Cuas signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[14] He pitched in 5 games for the Ducks and threw 11 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts.

Kansas City Royals
Cuas side arm pitching. 2023

On June 17, 2021, Cuas signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals organization.[15]

Cuas split his affiliated time in 2021 between the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Royals, the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, and the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, going a combined 5–1 with a 1.51 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 41+2⁄3 innings.[8] He received a non-roster invitation to MLB spring training in 2022.[16]

On May 30, Kansas City selected Cuas' contract and promoted him to the Major Leagues for the first time.[17] He made his Major League debut the following day against the Cleveland Guardians.[18] He struck out the first batter he faced, Oscar Mercado, and retired the next two hitters in order for a perfect inning of relief.[19] On August 9, Cuas recorded his first career save after pitching a scoreless 2⁄3 of an inning against the Chicago White Sox.[20]

Cuas made the Royals' Opening Day roster in 2023 as part of the club's bullpen.[21]

Chicago Cubs

On July 31, 2023, the Royals traded Cuas to the Chicago Cubs for Nelson Velázquez.[22]

Personal life

At the time of his Major League debut, Cuas had a four-year-old son and one-year-old daughter with his longtime girlfriend.[10]

His younger brother, Alex, played college baseball at Towson.[10][23]

See also

References
  1. pressbox.athletics.com (PDF) https://pressbox.athletics.com/Publications/MLB%20Media%20Guides/MLB%20Publications/2022%20Player%20Name%20Presentations%20&%20Pronunciation%20Guide.pdf. Retrieved June 6, 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. Braziller, Zach (July 6, 2012). "Grand Street's Cuas facing Major decision as Blue Jays up ante". New York Post. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  3. Seth Abramson, and Seth Walder (June 6, 2012). "Grand Street Campus shortstop demands $500,000 signing bonus, so Blue Jays pass on him in 10th round and take him in 40th round instead". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  4. "#11 Jose Cuas - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  5. "Milwaukee Brewers 2015 MLB Draft capsules". FOXSports.com. June 9, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  6. Vittas, John (June 10, 2015). "Jose Cuas selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th Round". Maryland Baseball Network. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  7. "Jose Cuas Amateur, College, Minor, Independent & Winter Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  8. Lewis, Alec (March 16, 2022). "From FedEx driver to Francisco Rodríguez pupil: The odyssey of Royals reliever Jose Cuas". The Athletic. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  9. "Jose Cuas Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  10. Rogers, Anne (May 31, 2022). "Converted pitcher Cuas makes it from FedEx to MLB". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  11. "LI Ducks Re-Sign Grand Street Campus High School Alum Jose Cuas". Brooklyn Sports World/The Sports Scope. April 12, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  12. "Ducks Re-Sign Righty Reliever Jose Cuas". The Atlantic League of Baseball. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  13. "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  14. "Ducks Re-Sign Righty Reliever Jose Cuas". liducks.com. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  15. "Jose Cuas' Contract Purchased by Royals". Our Sports Central. June 17, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  16. Rogers, Anne (March 13, 2022). "Witt Jr. tops Royals' list of 21 non-roster invitees". MLB.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  17. The, AP (May 30, 2022). "Royals' Greinke put on IL with right flexor strain". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  18. "Jose Cuas Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  19. "Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Guardians Box Score, May 31, 2022". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  20. "Royals' Jose Cuas: Notches first save". cbssports.com. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  21. "Royals' Jose Cuas: Makes Opening Day roster". cbssports.com. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  22. Sloan, Nick. "Royals trade relief pitcher José Cuas to the Chicago Cubs, receive outfielder in return". KMBC.com.
  23. "Alex Cuas Amateur & College Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
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