Joseph joins the Cubs after spending the first eight years of his professional career in the Texas Rangers organization ... has spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues after signing as a non-drafted free agent with Texas on August 28, 2006 ... claimed off waivers by the Cubs in October 2014 after an injury-shortened season...Made his major league debut for the Rangers in 2013, going 2-2 with a 4.23 ERA (21 ER/44.2 IP) in 32 relief appearances ... made 15 minor league appearances in 2014 after missing the start of the season due to a fractured left foot...Is 18-15 with 31 saves and a 2.44 ERA (87 ER/320.2 IP) in 217 relief appearances covering eight minor league seasons...Has struck out 316 hitters while walking just 72 in 320.2 innings of work in the minors … has surrendered only 24 home runs in that time, good for 0.7 home runs allowed per 9.0 innings...Honored as the Northwest League Pitcher of the Week for July 6-12, 2009, tossing 6.2-scoreless innings of relief while fanning nine (two games)...Was 16 years old when he made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2006 with Texas.
2014
Made his first appearance of the season on July 18 after missing the first three months of the season with a fractured left foot ... after two scoreless relief outings with the Rookie League Rangers, he finished the season at Double-A Frisco, where he went 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA (8 ER/16.0 IP) in 13 outings...Allowed two hits and no runs in 2.0 innings for the Rookie League Rangers from July 18 to July 21...Made his first appearance with Double-A Frisco, July 24 vs. San Antonio, allowing no runs on two hits in 1.0 innings...Allowed one run or fewer in 12 of his 13 relief outings with Frisco...Collected a save, August 28 at Corpus Christi, after recording the final out of the game (0.1 IP, H)...All told, walked just two batters and fanned nine in 18.0 innings in 2014...Claimed off waivers by the Cubs, October 6.
2013
Made his first Opening Day roster and shuffled between Round Rock and Arlington throughout the campaign… allowed just one run over 11.0 innings and 10 appearances to make the club out of spring training after he was added to the 40-man roster for the first time in November…was with the club from Opening Day-June 4, June 18-21, July 11-22, and Aug. 30-end of season…prior to the season, was rated by Baseball America as the 30th-best prospect in the Rangers organization.
2012
Combined to go 2-3 with 6 saves and a 2.15 ERA (15
ER/62.2 IP) over a career-high 51 relief appearances with Frisco
(AA) and Round Rock (AAA), his first-ever season above A-ball...
also had career-high 23 games finished...opponents batted .242
(57-236) overall, including just a .216 (21-97) figure by left-handed
hitters...opposition hit .220 (13-59) with RISP.
FRISCO: Began the year at Double-A and allowed runs in just 7
of 27 appearances...opponents batted .226 (26-115) with 6 walks
and 29 K's...issued walks in just 4 outings...no HR allowed in final
18 games (20.0 IP)...over 12 outings from May 2-June 3, had 1.46
ERA (2 ER/12.1 IP) with 3 walks against 15 K's...allowed 9 of 20
inherited runners to score.
ROUND ROCK: Promoted to Triple-A on June 22 and had a
1.97 ERA (7 ER/32.0 IP) over 24 outings with 23 strikeouts and
3 walks...all 3 walks came in a span of 4 outings in August...
opponents hit .254 (31-122), but lefties had just a .196 (11-56)
figure with 14 K's and no walks...went 2-for-3 in save chances,
all in August...allowed only 4 of 17 inherited runners to score...
made his Pacific Coast League debut June 22 vs. Iowa (1.2 IP, 0
R)...allowed solo HR in his 2nd and 3rd outings with Round Rock,
but had a 1.67 ERA (5 ER/27.0 IP) in final 21 games to finish the
year...5 of his 6 HR allowed came with the bases empty...opposition hit .154 (4-26) with RISP.
WINTER LEAGUE: Pitched for La Guaira in the Venezuelan
Winter League, going 1-2 with a 4.08 ERA (8 ER/17.2 IP) in 21
appearances...VWL opponents batted .232 with 17 strikeouts.
2011
Spent the entire campaign with Myrtle Beach (High-A),
posting 1.015 WHIP, 2nd-lowest of his career...worked multiple
innings in 20 of 40 appearances...converted 5 of 10 save opportunities...opposing left-handed batters hit just .200 (13-65) with 5
extra-base hits (4 2B, 1 HR)...opposition hit .216 (54-250) with
15 XBH overall...posted 18.0 scoreless innings over 9 outings
from April 16-May 19...gave up one run in 8 games and 10.0 innings in July...had 4.76 ERA (9 ER/17.0 IP) in 26 relief outings
for La Guaira in VWL, as lefties were just 3-for-24 (.125) with no
XBH.
2010
Spent bulk of season with Hickory (A) less a short
stint with Bakersfield (High-A)...combined to go 4-1 with a 1.62
ERA (8 ER/44.1 IP), 5 saves, and 53 strikeouts in 28 games...
had career bests with 0.880 WHIP and 10.50 SO/BB ratio, and his
WHIP figure would have been the lowest in minor league baseball
if he had enough innings to qualify...held opposing lefties to a .176
average (9-51), while opponents batted .198 (33-167) overall...
stranded 13-of-18 (72%) inherited runners...converted 5-of-6 save
chances...registered a season-high 8 strikeouts over 3.2 shutout
innings on July 22 vs. Delmarva...promoted to Bakersfield on Aug.
10...transferred back to Hickory on August 16...went 1-2 with a
3.60 (4 ER/10.0 IP) over 25 relief appearances for La Guaira in
VWL.
2009
Split the campaign between Hickory and Spokane
(Short-A), combining to go 2-1, 3.38 (16 ER/42.2 IP) with 44
strikeouts in 22 relief appearances...placed on Hickory disabled
list April 22 with shoulder strain...activated from the disabled list on
June 19 and transferred to Spokane...earned Northwest League
Pitcher of the Week honors for July 6-12, tossing 6.2 scoreless
innings of relief with 9 strikeouts over 2 appearances...did not allow a run over final 3 appearances with Spokane, a span of 7.0
innings, lowering season ERA from 3.64 to 2.95...was 2-0, 5.06
(9 ER/16.0 IP) in 30 games for La Guaira in VWL.
2008
Split
the season between Arizona League and Clinton (A)...combined
to go 2-0, 1.91 (7 ER/33.0 IP) with 5 saves in 24 games...made
U.S. debut with AZL Rangers, recording a save with 1.0 scoreless
inning June 22 vs. Royals...promoted to Clinton on June 24...
was 2-0, 1.97 (7 ER/32.0 IP) with 4 saves in 23 games for the
LumberKings...scoreless in 17 of his 23 outings...held opposition
to a .204 average (23-133)...pitched 1.0 scoreless inning in one
appearance during the Midwest League playoffs.
2007
Made
pro debut in Dominican Summer League.
