FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2018
Contact: Jared Shlensky
[email protected]

GARY, Ind. — The Gary SouthShore RailCats announced the signing of veteran catcher Andy Paz on Thursday to his first Independent Professional Baseball contract after spending the last seven seasons in the Oakland Athletics minor league system.

Paz spent all of last season with the Midland RockHounds (Double-A) of the Texas League, hitting .251 with four doubles and 19 RBIs in 53 games. Behind the plate, Paz made just one error in 353 attempts and threw out 30% (14/47) of attempted basestealers.

In 2016, Paz appeared in games for the Beloit Snappers (Lo-A) of the Midwest League, Stockton Ports (Hi-A) of the California League and Midland, however, saw the majority of his action with the RockHounds. Paz finished with a career-high .320 batting average, .420 slugging percentage, nine doubles, 11 extra-base hits and 24 runs in 46 games for the RockHounds.

A native of La Habana, Cuba, Paz hit a combined .226 with a double and four RBIs in 16 games between the Arizona League Athletics (Rookie Ball) and Beloit in 2015. As a 21-year-old in 2014, Paz saw action with three of the A’s affiliates — hitting a combined .146 with five doubles, a triple, one home run and 17 RBIs between the AZL A’s, Vermont Lake Monsters (Class-A, Short-Season) of the New York-Penn League and Beloit. Defensively, Paz gunned down 39% (25/64) of attempted basestealers.

Paz spent all of 2013 with the AZL A’s, batting .228 with four doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs in 33 games. Paz began his first two seasons in the A’s minor league system with the Dominican Summer League (DOSL) Athletics in 2011 and 2012 after signing with Oakland as an international free agent on Nov. 20, 2010, at 17-years-old. The catcher hit over .315 and threw out at least 40% of attempted basestealers in both seasons with the DOSL A’s.

The Gary SouthShore RailCats open the 2018 season at U.S. Steel Yard on Friday, May 18th vs. the St. Paul Saints. Ticket packages for the 2018 Gary SouthShore RailCats season are available online at railcatsbaseball.com and can also be purchased by calling the RailCats ticket line at (219) 882-BALL. The RailCats box office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.