Corban Joseph

CORBAN JOSEPH, SECOND BASEMAN
Born: October 28, 1988
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 185
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Drafted: 4th Round, 140th Overall, 2008 (Yankees)
How Acquired: Waiver claim (from Giants)
High School: Franklin (TN) HS
Agents: PSI Sports Management

WTM’s PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

The Yankees drafted Joseph as an offense-oriented infielder.  His main asset was a line drive bat, with some question whether he’d hit for power.  He’s generally had good plate discipline and he’s almost always had very large platoon splits.  A shortstop in high school, he’s never played there as a pro.  He’s mostly played second, with some time at first and third and a couple games in the outfield.  His defense at second has always been regarded as adequate to below average.  He doesn’t have a good arm, which limits him at third.  Joseph made steady progress through the Yankees’ system, but suffered a shoulder injury after he got to AAA.  Whether because of that or not, he didn’t hit as well over the next several years.  The Pirates claimed him off waivers.

2008
R:  277/359/434, 159 AB, 15 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 20 BB, 24 K, 2-7 SB

Joseph played second in the GCL and hit well in his debut, with good plate discipline.

2009
A:  300/381/418, 380 AB, 17 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 49 BB, 61 K, 8-13 SB

Joseph successfully made the jump to full season ball, hitting for average and a little power.  He split his time between second and third.  Baseball America rated him the Yankees’ #13 prospect after the season.

2010
A+:  302/378/436, 381 AB, 27 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 43 BB, 74 K, 5-13 SB
AA:  216/305/342, 111 AB, 6 2B, 4 3B, 15 BB, 33 K, 1-1 SB

Joseph continued hitting well in the pitching-dominated Florida State League, although he also continued to show mostly just gap power.  He had a large platoon split, with an .831 OPS against RHPs and .657 against LHPs.  Joseph got a late-season promotion to AA.  He played all but a few games at second.  BA ranked him 20th in the Yankees’ system after the season.

2011
AA:  277/353/415, 499 AB, 38 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 59 BB, 104 K, 4-7 SB

Playing second exclusively, Joseph continued hitting about the same, with a slight dropoff.  He had a platoon split similar to the previous season.  The Yankees used him exclusively at second.  After the season, they added him to their 40-man roster.

2012
AA:  314/412/430, 86 AB, 4 2B, 2 HR, 15 BB, 13 K
AAA:  266/366/474, 327 AB, 25 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 53 BB, 57 K, 0-1 SB

The Yankees sent Joseph back to AA to open the season, but after he got off to a good start they moved him up.  He started to show some over-the-fence power in AAA and did it without sacrificing his plate discipline.  He had a very large platoon split, with a .939 OPS against RHPs and .550 against LHPs.  BA rated him 27th after the season.

2013
AAA:  239/329/383, 188 AB, 9 2B, 6 HR, 21 BB, 39 K, 2-2 SB
MLB:  167/286/333, 6 AB, 1 2B, 2 HR, 1 BB, 1 K

Joseph went back to AAA, where his hitting declined.  He got a brief callup in May, but went out for the season at the end of the month.  He had right shoulder surgery in early September and the Yankees outrighted him to AAA after the season.

2014
AAA:  268/320/387, 235 AB, 12 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 19 BB, 31 K, 0-1 SB

The Yankees sent Joseph back to AAA, where he got only sporadic playing time.  He again didn’t hit as well as previously.  New York released him near the end of the season and he signed a minor league deal with Atlanta.

2015
AA (Atl):  268/333/301, 123 AB, 4 2B, 11 BB, 12 K, 1-4 SB
AA (Balt):  280/315/419, 246 AB, 14 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 12 BB, 24 K, 2-5 SB

Atlanta sent Joseph to AA and he struggled, leading the Braves to release him in June.  The Orioles signed him soon after and he spent the rest of the year in AA with them.  His hitting rebounded somewhat, although with much less patience than formerly.  He played mostly at second for both teams.

2016
AA:  349/394/465, 86 AB, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 BB, 9 K, 1-2 SB
AAA:  305/362/435, 285 AB, 14 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 26 BB, 32 K, 4-4 SB

The Orioles sent Joseph initially to AA, but he got off to a very good start and they moved him up to AAA.  Once there, he hit like he had several years earlier.  He continued to have a very large platoon split.  After the season he became a free agent and signed with the Nationals.

2017
AA:  299/357/453, 201 AB, 10 2B, 7 HR, 19 BB, 23 K, 0-4 SB
AAA:  231/282/296, 108 AB, 7 2B, 8 BB, 15 K, 1-2 SB

The Nationals sent Joseph to AAA initially, but he struggled there and they moved him down to AA, where he hit much better.  The large platoon splits continued.  He signed with the Orioles after the season.

2018
AA:  312/381/497, 459 AB, 30 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 52 BB, 43 K, 8-10 SB
MLB:  222/263/278, 18 AB, 1 2B, 1 BB, 5 K

The Orioles sent Joseph to AA, where he put up career highs in HRs and slugging.  He got called up briefly in June and then again in September, and was outrighted in between.  After the season, the Orioles outrighted him again and he opted for free agency, but he re-signed with them a few days later.  He wasn’t there long, though, because Oakland selected him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.

2019
AAA (Oak):  371/421/585, 383 AB, 35 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 33 BB, 46 K
MLB (Oak):  189/225/324, 37 AB, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 K
MLB (SF):  063/118/063, 16 AB, 1 BB, 6 K
MLB:  182/182/273, 11 AB, 1 2B, 1 K

Joseph spent most of the season in AAA, where he put up huge numbers.  Of course, it has to be taken into account that he was playing in Las Vegas in the Pacific Coast League in a season when offense was drastically inflated in AAA by a livelier ball.  Oakland called him up in mid-August, then designated him for assignment at the end of the month.  The Giants claimed him and he spent the first half of September with them before they dfa’d him.  The Pirates claimed him, probably because injuries had left them short of position players and they were unwilling to call up Ke’Bryan Hayes or Will Craig.  Joseph pinch hit a number of times and played a few innings in the field.

The Pirates probably claimed Joseph solely because they were shorthanded.  He had no options left, so he offered the Pirates no flexibility in 2020.  The Pirates outrighted him to AAA after the season.  He’ll probably become a free agent.

CONTRACT INFORMATION
2019: Major league minimum
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: $207,000
MiLB Debut: 2008
MLB Debut: 5/13/2013
MiLB FA Eligible: N/A
MLB FA Eligible: 2025
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Added to 40-Man: August 11, 2012 (since removed)
Options Remaining: 0 (USED:  2012, 2013, 2018)
MLB Service Time: 0.066
TRANSACTIONS
June 5, 2008: Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 4th round, 140th overall pick; signed on June 10.
November 18, 2011: Contract purchased by the New York Yankees.
November 20, 2013: Outrighted to AAA by the New York Yankees.
August 27, 2014: Released by the New York Yankees.
November 19, 2014: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Atlanta Braves.
June 2, 2015: Released by the Atlanta Braves.
June 14, 2015: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Baltimore Orioles.
November 7, 2016: Became a free agent.
November 20, 2016: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Washington Nationals.
November 6, 2017: Became a free agent.
February 19, 2018: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Baltimore Orioles.
June 15, 2018: Called up by the Baltimore Orioles.
June 29, 2018: Designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles; outrighted to AAA on July 1.
September 7, 2018: Called up by the Baltimore Orioles.
October 31, 2018: Outrighted to AAA by the Baltimore Orioles; refused assignment and became a free agent.
November 5, 2018: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Baltimore Orioles.
December 13, 2018: Selected in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft by the Oakland Athletics from the Baltimore Orioles.
August 14, 2019: Called up by the Oakland Athletics.
September 1, 2019: Designated for assignment by the Oakland Athletics.
September 3, 2019: Claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants from the Oakland Athletics.
September 14, 2019: Designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants.
September 16, 2019: Claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the San Francisco Giants.
October 25, 2019: Outrighted to AAA by the Pittsburgh Pirates.