Raul Alexander Chavez signed as a 16 year old...Is the nephew of former Major Leaguer Alvaro Espinosa, who played 12 years in the majors for Minnesota, Cleveland,
Yankees, Seattle and the Mets...Loves to play Atari.
2010
Spent the entire season in Toronto's organization, playing 55 games for Las
Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League...Made 43 starts behind the plate,
one at third base and 10 as the designated hitter...Drove in a season-high three runs on July 17 at Fresno...Hit .364 (24-66) when he was ahead in the count...Threw out 16 of 43 baserunners (37 percent).
2009
In his first season as a Blue Jay played in 51 games, recoding 159 at-bats, the 2nd highest total of his
11-year career... CAREER MARK: Posted 41 hits, seven more than his previous career high... Sept. 3 at NYY, recorded
three hits, including two doubles, matching career highs, 5th time in hits and 3rd time in doubles... STREAK: From July
25-Aug. 12 recorded hits in six consecutive games to surpass his previous high of four... TOUGH OUT: In close and
late situation, proved to be a difficult out, posting a .303 average (10-33)... Vs. NYY: Had his best performances vs. the
Yankees, played in seven games, batting .455 (10-22) with four RBI... STOP RIGHT THERE: Threw out 16 of 45 potential
base stealers for a 35.6% caught stealing percentage... The 35.6 % and ranked 3rd in the AL among catchers with a
minimum of 50 games played.
2008
Began season with Indianapolis, where he made 23 appearances at catcher, two at first base & two at third base...
Posted a 1.000 fielding % behind the plate (161 total chances) and threw out 12 of the 21 attempted base stealers (57%)...
Hit .440 (11-25) with three doubles, one home run and eight RBI in eight games during the month of May... Hit .367 (11-30)
vs. southpaws... Had contract selected by Pittsburgh on May 14 & made his season debut on May 15 at St. Louis... Homered
on June 21 vs. TOR, his first long ball since July 5, 2005... Hit .320 (8-25) with runners in scoring position... Hit safely
in 21 of his 31 starts as catcher with PIT... Threw out eight of the 15 base runners attempting to steal against him (53%).
2007
Attended spring training as a non-roster invitee with the New York Yankees... Spent the entire season with Scranton
(AAA)... Made 74 appearances behind the plate, eight at third and six at first... Ranked 3rd among International League
catchers in caught stealing (36%).
2006
Made three stints with Baltimore after being claimed off waivers by the Orioles from Houston on Mar. 31... Appeared
in 16 games with O's... Was designated for assignment on Apr. 9... Cleared waivers and was out-righted to Ottawa (AAA)
before being transferred to Bowie (AA)... Joined the Orioles again on Apr. 19 and made his first start of the season on
Apr. 22 at NYM (1-for-4)... Was designated for assignment for the 2nd time on June 5... Joined the O's for the 3rd time of
the season on Sept. 5.
2005
Batted .172 (17x99) with two home runs and six RBI in 37 games...started 30 games at catcher and appeared in 36 at the position...hit his second home run of the year on July 7 vs. San Diego (Williams)...Astros purchased his contract from Triple A Round Rock on Aug. 31...hit .252 (30x119) with 14 RBI in 34 games for the Express...hit his first home run of the year on June 27 at Colorado (Wright)...was his first homer since April 15, 2003, a span of 265 atbats...collected a career-high tying three hits (3x5) on April 22 at St. Louis (4th time)...drove in two runs on April 15 at Cincinnati...made his third consecutive appearance on the club's Opening Day roster.
2004
Recorded career-high totals in virtually every offensive category...batted .230 with 23 RBI in 64 games...started 47 games at catcher...hit his first home run of the season in Game 2 of the NLDS at Atlanta (Hampton), becoming the 10th player in MLB history to homer in his first career postseason at-bat - started the game at catcher and went 2x3...went 1x3 with an RBI single in Game 4 of the NLCS vs. St. Louis...had six RBI in two games from Sept. 26-27...3x5 with a career-high five RBI on Sept. 26 at Milwaukee...caught both of Houston's complete-game shutouts on the season (both Oswalt)...caught Oswalt in all but one of his starts...2x4 with two doubles on Sept. 4 vs. Pittsburgh...hit safely in four starts from June 22-July 3 (.357, 5x14)...posted a hit in four consecutive starts from April 28-May 14 (.462, 6x13)...started behind the plate and went 1x3 with a two RBI double on May 3 vs. Cincinnati...went 2x3 with a double and an RBI on April 28 at Pittsburgh...made his first start of the season on April 11 at Milwaukee...made his second consecutive appearance on the club's Opening Day roster.
2003
Appeared in 19 games for Houston, making seven starts behind the plate... Started at catcher on Sept. 26 vs. MIL
and recorded a career-high tying three hits... His contract was selected from New Orleans (AAA) on Aug. 20... Led New
Orleans with 11 hit by pitches... Listed on the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career... Was out-righted to New
Orleans on Apr. 17... Played in two games for the Astros from Apr. 15-16, homered and walked in two pinch-hit appearances
at SF... In his first appearance of the season Apr. 15, hit the Club's first pinch hit home run of the season (off Ainsworth).
2002
Appeared in two games for the Astros in 2002 and hit .250 (1x4) with a double and a walk while also being hit by a pitch.
- went 0x1 on Sept. 29 at San Francisco.
- started at catcher on Sept. 25 and went 1x3 with a double and a run scored.
- recalled from Triple A New Orleans on Sept. 1.
- hit .228 (84x292) with three home runs and 36 RBI in 111 games for New Orleans.
2001
Played in 85 games for Triple A New Orleans, hitting .302 (84-278) with eight home runs and 40 RBI.
- caught 82 games for the Zephrys and committed only five errors...hit 17 doubles, walked 19 times and struck out 34 times.
- placed on disabled list on August 10 (middle finger fracture in right hand)...activated August 19.
2000
Reaching the big leagues for the first time since a one-game stint in 1998, played for the Astros over the final two months of the season in two separate stints with Houston.
- hit .279 (17x61) with 12 home runs in May at Triple A...drew 16 walks during the month.
- while at New Orleans, batted .571 (4x7) as a pinch-hitter, .444 (4x9) as a DH...had three hits four times for the Zephyrs.B
- smacked an RBI-double in the ninth inning on August 10 versus the Mets for his first Major League extra-base hit.
- optioned to Triple A on August 18 when Mitch Meluskey was activiated from the DL...played in six games in his first stint with Houston, going 3x21.
- returned to the Astros on September 2 when he was recalled from Triple A New Orleans...batted .244 (74x203) with 13 doubles, two homers and 36 RBI over 99 games for the Zephyrs.
- cracked his first Major League home run on September 8 at Wrigley Field vs. the Cubs (Rain).
1999
Spent the entire season with Seattle's Triple A affiliate Tacoma...played five different positions, mostly at catcher, but also saw time at first base, second base, third base and shortstop...batted .337 (28x83) in 23 games in June with six doubles, a home run and 11 RBI...had a nine-game hitting streak from June 7-18, during which he batted .457 (16x35) with five doubles and eight RBI...batted .301 (53x176) in 58 games on the road with 14 doubles, three homers and 25 RBI compared to a .236 average at home (42x178).
1998
Began the season with Triple A Ottawa...played in 11 games before being traded to Seattle on May 8...threw out 43 of 71 attempted base stealers (61 percent) with the Rainiers...had two brief stints with Seattle, spending July 2-9 and July 21-24 in the Majors...played in only one game and had one at-bat with the Mariners.
1997
Spent two stints in the Majors...was recalled June 18 and appeared in four games for the Expos before returning to Ottawa July 4...rejoined the Expos on Sept. 2...was 7x20 (.350) with two RBI in September...returned to Magallanes in the Venezuelan League over the winter.
1996
Came to big league camp with Montreal but began the season at Triple A Ottawa...contract was purchased by Montreal Aug. 28...made his Major League debut Aug. 30 vs. San Diego, catching the last two innings...first Major League hit was Sept. 2 vs. the Giants' Jose Bautista in the 10th inning....stole second two pitches later, marking his first stolen base since 1994.
1995
Began the season with Houston's Double A affiliate in Jackson...hit .287 for the Generals before being promoted to Triple A Tucson...rated by
Baseball America as the best defensive catcher in the Astros system...was traded to Montreal with pitcher Dave Veres on December 20 in exchange for Sean Berry.
1994
Jumped from Class A Osceola to Double-A Jackson.
1993
Saw limited duty with Osceola...58 games caught was the lowest total of his career since playing in the rookie league in 1990.
1992
Had second straight solid offensive season with Asheville...his doubles total (22) was a career high.
1991
Had his best offensive season, setting career marks in hits, RBI and walks.
1990
Signed as a non-drafted free agent by Houston and began his pro career with the Gulf Coast League Astros...batted .323.
