(April 20, 2021, York, Pa.) — One of the great individual stories in York Revolution history will have another chapter added as left-handed reliever Edward Paredes is set to return to York in 2021, along with shortstop and fellow Major League veteran Orlando Calixte, who joins the club. The two signings were announced by Revs manager Mark Mason on Monday’s airing of Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK.
Paredes, 34, will be entering his fourth season as a member of the Revolution and returns for the first time since spending a pair of seasons in the big leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The left-hander was previously part of the Revs bullpen from 2013-2015, where in three seasons with York, he went 9-6 with a career 3.00 ERA. In 141.0 bullpen innings across 131 total appearances, the Dominican Republic native has earned 152 strikeouts. The reliever earned substantial increases in appearances, finishing with 33 games in 2013, 43 in ’14, and 55 in ’15 when he established himself as one of the league’s top relievers and a Major League prospect.
Following his 2015 season with York, Paredes signed with the Los Angeles Angels organization. After a season at Double-A Arkansas, the Detroit Tigers signed Paredes as a free agent but lost him to the Dodgers in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft.
On July 21, 2017, the lefty finally received the Major League call-up to join the Dodgers. Paredes earned the win in his first appearance with a perfect eighth inning in a 6-4 come-from-behind win over the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium. In doing so, he became the first Revs alum to earn a win in his big league debut and the first Dodgers left-handed reliever since 1962 to earn a win in his big league debut. In two seasons with the Dodgers, Paredes is 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 25 appearances at the Major League level. He has allowed less than a hit per inning and has struck out 19 while walking just two batters.
“He’s a great guy, a hard worker,” commented Mason. “Our goal is to get him signed and back with a Major League organization as soon as possible, but for the time being he’s a big left-handed arm to add to our bullpen again. I’m excited to have him back, and he’s excited to come back, but I’d like this to be like another Ross Detwiler story where he comes back and gets signed again by a big league club. That’s what we’re hoping for, but in the meantime while he’s here, he can help us win games and be the dominant pitcher that we know he can be.”
Originally signed by the Seattle Mariners in 2005 as an amateur free agent, Paredes pitched for six seasons in the Mariners system, reaching as high as Triple-A Tacoma. The 6-foot southpaw later signed with Cleveland before landing in York in April 2013. In his pro career, the 15-year veteran is 60-56 with a 3.93 ERA and has 883 strikeouts in 719 career appearances.
Calixte, 29, is in his 11th professional season. Another veteran of MLB time, the infielder spent 2019 in the Seattle Mariners system at Triple-A Tacoma. With the Rainiers, Calixte hit .278 with 27 hits and 10 RBI in just 25 games before his season was cut short due to injury.
Originally signed as an amateur free agent in 2010 out of the Dominican Republic by the Kansas City Royals, Calixte’s star rose quickly in the Royals system. He was named a 2013 MiLB Organization All-Star with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and was a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star in both 2013 and 2014. During those All-Star seasons, Calixte combined to post 211 hits, 64 extra-base hits (19 home runs), and 73 RBI.
On April 19, 2015, the then-23-year-old received his first Major League call up and debuted against the Oakland Athletics. Calixte earned himself a spot in the big leagues again two years later with the San Francisco Giants after signing with them as a minor league free agent in November 2016. He has appeared in 31 big league games, 29 of which came with San Francisco in 2017, and has totaled seven hits including a double, six runs scored, six RBI, and a stolen base while seeing time at five different defensive positions. In five total Triple-A seasons with three different organizations (Royals, Giants, and Mariners), Calixte is a .254 hitter with 396 hits, 119 extra-base hits (44 home runs), 157 RBI, and 63 stolen bases.
Across his professional career, Calixte sports a .246 average with 945 hits, 165 doubles, 32 triples, 89 home runs, and 387 RBI. With defensive innings at second base, third base, all three outfield spots, and the majority at shortstop, Calixte has a career .951 fielding percentage.
“Orlando is a great addition to our ball club,” commented Mason. “He can play everywhere defensively and is a good hitter. He puts the ball in play and can hit for some power. He also has speed and great range defensively, and gives me a lot of options where I can play him. We’re excited to bring him in, and I know he’s excited to be coming here to play.”
The Revs will continue to unveil player signings for the upcoming 2021 season live on Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy each Monday at 6:30 p.m. on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK. The next episode will air on Monday, April 26, immediately following The Baltimore Baseball Show with Dan Connolly and can also be streamed on 989woyk.com and on the go with The New WOYK app.