Gustavo Nunez

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2007
DSL:  284/370/350, 243 AB, 10 2B, 3 3B, 32 BB, 45 K, 9-16 SB

Had a solid debut in the DSL.  Nunez played short there exclusively.

2008
R:  200/233/275, 40 AB, 3 2B, 2 BB, 6 K, 1-2 SB
A+:  245/304/272, 164 AB, 4 2B, 11 BB, 29 K, 1-4 SB

Nunez played only briefly in rookie ball and then moved up to high A, which is a large jump.  He didn’t hit much, with no power at all.  He played a little at second, but mostly at short, a pattern that continued in later years.

2009
R:  190/261/333, 21 AB, 1 HR, 1 BB, 5 K, 3-3 SB
A:  315/360/425, 464 AB, 16 2B, 10 3B, 5 HR, 25 BB, 62 K, 45-70 SB

The Tigers sent Nunez down to low A and he hit well, even showing some power.  He ran a lot, but not especially well.  He did have the suspension.

2010
A+:  222/263/281, 523 AB, 13 2B, 6 3B, 2 HR, 21 BB, 93 K, 33-41 SB

Nunez moved back up to high A and didn’t hit at all.

2011
A+:  304/368/431, 260 AB, 10 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 25 BB, 40 K, 14-24 SB
AA:  215/252/289, 121 AB, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 BB, 27 K, 4-7 SB

Returning to the FSL for a third season, Nunez finally started to hit, but at 23 he was old for the level.  He struggled in a late-season stint in AA, until an early-August ankle injury ended his season.

2012
R:  400/500/1000, 5 AB, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 BB, 1 K, 0-1 SB
A+:  294/333/353, 17 AB, 1 2B, 1 BB, 3 K
AA:  227/292/273, 22 AB, 1 2B, 2 BB, 4 K, 1-2 SB

Although Nunez was expected to be ready for spring training, he wasn’t and ended up having surgery on the ankle.  He didn’t surface until August, when he got into 14 games on rehab assignments at three different levels.  When Altoona finished its season, rather than calling him up the Pirates left Nunez on the 60-day disabled list, stating that his ankle still wasn’t healthy.  After the season, the Pirates placed Nunez on waivers and Arizona claimed him.  Because he missed all of his Rule 5 year, the Diamondbacks would have had to keep him in the majors throughout 2013.  Two months later, though, they returned him to the Tigers and Detroit outrighted him to AAA.

2013
AAA:  194/242/215, 186 AB, 4 2B, 12 BB, 45 K, 6-11 SB

Detroit sent Nunez to AAA, where he spent the season mostly playing short and second.  Considering that he had very little experience, and no success, above class A, it probably wasn’t a sensible assignment.  Nunez played very sparingly after May, although there were no long periods in which he didn’t play, so he doesn’t seem to have had any major injury.  When he was on the field, he had a very rough time at the plate.  The Tigers released him after the season and he signed a minor league contract with Atlanta.

2014
AA:  301/353/373, 306 AB, 10 2B, 3 2B, 2 HR, 24 BB, 57 K, 10-16 SB

The Braves sent Nunez to AA, where he played semi-regularly, mostly at short but some at second and in the outfield.  He made significant progress at the plate.  Of course, by then he was 26, thanks to the time the Rule 5 draft cost him.  He became a free agent after the season.

2015
AAA:  276/326/329, 340 AB, 10 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 23 BB, 52 K, 19-29 SB

Nunez went to Indianapolis and, with Justin Sellers injured, was the regular shortstop off and on.  How much he played depended a lot on whether Pedro Florimon or Gift Ngoepe was available.  Nunez hit for average, without much power or many walks.  He probably wasn’t as good defensively as Florimon of Ngoepe.

Nunez will be a free agent after the season.