07/19/2018 11:54 AM - KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Kansas City T-Bones announced today that the club has signed left-handed pitcher Jayson Aquino for the 2018 season.
The 25-year-old Aquino was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. He signed with the Colorado Rockies as an international free agent on July 2, 2009. In 2010, at 17 years old, he began his professional career with the Dominican Summer League Rockies, going 4-3 in 12 starts, with a 1.02 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 612⁄3 innings. He also played the 2011 season with the DSL Rockies, and pitched to an 8–2 record and 1.30 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 892⁄3 innings. In 2012, Aquino pitched for both the DSL Rockies and the Rookie Grand Junction Rockies with a combined record of 10–1, a 1.66 ERA, and 110 strikeouts in 1081⁄3 innings.
In 2013, Aquino was promoted to the Short-Season A Tri-City Dust Devils and later the Class-A Asheville Tourists. He went 0–10 in 87 innings over 14 starts, with a 4.34 ERA with 73 strikeouts. He was added to the Rockies' 40-man roster on November 20, 2013. In 2014, Aquino played with the Advanced-A Modesto Nuts and the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, posting a combined 5–10 record, a 5.13 ERA, and 83 strikeouts in 107 innings pitched.
He was designated for assignment by the Rockies on January 30, 2015 and traded to the Toronto Blue Jays on February 4, 2015. The Blue Jays optioned Aquino to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats on March 8, 2015. On May 10, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who traded him to the Cleveland Indians on July 29, 2015.
Aquino was claimed off waivers from the Indians by the St. Louis Cardinals on December 9, 2015. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles on April 7, 2016, where pitched for the Bowie Baysox of the Class-AA Eastern League and was an Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star before he was promoted to the major leagues on July 4, 2016. He debuted that day, pitching two-thirds of an inning unscathed against the Los Angeles Dodgers, retiring both batters he faced: Chase Utley and Corey Seager.
Aquino made his first career start in the majors on April 22, 2017 for the Baltimore Orioles against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. He went six innings, giving up just two runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out two batters. Aquino earned the victory in a 4-2 Orioles win, the first of his Major League career.
In the majors, he pitched in a total of seven games, with a 1-2 record with 16 strikeouts over 152⁄3 innings. He elected free agency on November 6, 2017 and signed a new minor league contract with Baltimore on December 22. In 2018, he pitched in 572⁄3 innings over 12 games, with a 4-6 record, 40 strikeouts and a 5.15 ERA. Aquino was released on June 19, 2018.
For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the T-Bones Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to www.tbonesbaseball.com and the T-Bones’ Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.
