Vicente Campos

VICENTE CAMPOS, RIGHT HANDED PITCHER
Born: July 27, 1992
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 230
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Signed: International Free Agent, 2009 (Mariners)
How Acquired: Minor League Free Agent
Country: Venezuela
Agent: TLA Worldwide

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

Campos spent a lot of time on prospect lists with three different teams thanks to a low-90s fastball with good movement that got up to 96 mph.  He also showed a curve and change with good potential.  He put up impressive numbers in the low minors, including good walk and K rates, but repeated injuries interrupted his progress.  He’s spent relatively little time healthy since 2013, although he managed to reach the majors for one game in 2016.  The injuries probably took their toll, as his fastball averaged less than 89 mph in that one game.  The Pirates signed him to a minor league contract for 2019.

2009
VSL:  1-3-1, 5.73 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 33.0 IP, 4.4 BB/9, 6.3 K/9

Campos mostly struggled as a swing man in his debut season.  Of course, he didn’t turn 17 until partway through the season.

2010
VSL:  8-2-0, 3.16 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 57.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 9.3 K/9

Seattle sent Campos back to the VSL and he made substantial progress, including a K rate of more than one per inning.

2011
A-:  5-5-0, 2.32 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 81.1 IP, 1.4 BB/9, 9.4 K/9

After moving up to the short season Northwest League, Campos had an outstanding season as an 18/19-year-old in a league intended primarily for college draftees.  He had only a minimal platoon split.  Baseball America rated him the Mariners’ fifth best prospect after the season.

2012
A:  3-0-0, 4.01 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 24.2 IP, 2.9 BB/9, 9.5 K/9

In January, Seattle sent Campos to the Yankees in the Jesus Montero/Michael Pineda trade, which turned out surprisingly poorly for everybody involved.  The Yankees assigned Campos to low A, but he made only five starts and then missed last five months due to a small fracture in his elbow.  He pitched very well in those five starts and BA ranked him fifth in the Yankees’ system despite the injury.

2013
A:  4-2-0, 3.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 87.0 IP, 1.7 BB/9, 8.0 K/9

Campos went back to low A, where the Yankees limited his workload somewhat.  As in 2011, he had just a limited platoon split.  He pitched well enough overall that BA rated him their 14th best prospect.  New York added him to the 40-man roster after the season.

2014
INJURED

Campos missed the entire season due to Tommy John surgery.  During the off-season, the Yankees removed him from the 40-man roster and signed him to a minor league contract.

2015
R:  0-1-0, 2.79 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 9.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 13.0 K/9
A+:  3-7-0, 7.05 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 44.2 IP, 2.0 BB/9, 6.2 K/9

Once he was ready, Campos went to high A.  He struggled there, although not as badly as the ERA indicates.  Scouts apparently continued to like his stuff and BA rated him 20th in the Yankees’ system.  New York put him back on the 40-man roster after the season.

2016
A+ (NYY):  4-2-0, 3.49 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 59.1 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 8.5 K/9
AA (NYY):  5-1-0, 3.02 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 56.2 IP, 2.2 BB/9, 7.6 K/9
AA (Ari):  1-2-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 6.8 K/9
AAA (NYY):  0-0-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 1.8 BB/9, 1.8 K/9
AAA (Ari):  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 1.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 0.0 K/9
MLB (Ari):  0-0-0, 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 5.2 IP, 3.2 BB/9, 6.4 K/9

The Yankees sent Campos back to high A and he pitched well in ten starts there, then also in nine more for New York’s AA affiliate.  At the trade deadline, the Yankees sent him to Arizona for Tyler Clippard.  He got called up in late August and pitched respectably in a long relief appearance for the Diamondbacks, but he went out for the season in early September due to an ulnar fracture in his right arm.  In the fall, Arizona lost him to the Angels on a waiver claim.  BA rated him 13th in a very weak Angels’ farm system.

2017
R:  0-0-0, 5.40 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 12.6 K/9
A+:  0-1-0, 16.20 ERA, 3.60 WHIP, 1.2 IP, 16.2 BB/9, 16.2 K/9
AAA:  0-2-0, 8.27 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 16.1 IP, 6.6 BB/9, 5.0 K/9

Campos missed most of April in the aftermath of the arm injury, then struggled in six AAA outings.  He then underwent surgery in June for a bone spur in his right elbow and returned only late in the season to rehab briefly.  The Angels released him in September and re-signed him to a minor league contract.

2018
AA:  0-1-0, 5.50 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 18.0 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 7.5 K/9
AAA:  1-2-0, 12.60 ERA, 2.80 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 10.8 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
IND:  3-2-0, 5.64 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 4.4 BB/9, 6.9 K/9

The Angels moved Campos mostly to the bullpen and he struggled at both AA and AAA.  They released him in May and he caught on with Sugar Land of the independent Atlantic League.  He pitched strictly out of the bullpen and not especially well.

In winter ball, Campos reportedly had his velocity back up to the low- to mid-90s.  His numbers there were partly good, but his walk and K rates were not.  He’ll open the season at Altoona in the bullpen and try to show he’s healthy.

CONTRACT INFORMATION
2019: Minor league salary
2017:
$535,000
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: $115,000
MiLB Debut: 2009
MLB Debut: 8/27/2016
MiLB FA Eligible: 2019
MLB FA Eligible: 2025
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Added to 40-Man: 11/20/13 (since removed)
Options Remaining: 0 (USED: 2013, 2016, 2017)
MLB Service Time: 0.029
TRANSACTIONS
May 14, 2009: Signed as an international free agent with the Seattle Mariners.
January 23, 2012: Traded by the Seattle Mariners with Michael Pineda to the New York Yankees for Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi.
November 20, 2013: Contract purchased by the New York Yankees.
December 1, 2014: Designated for assignment by the New York Yankees and elected free agency.
December 5, 2014: Signed as a minor league free agent by the New York Yankees.
November 4, 2015: Called up by the New York Yankees.
July 31, 2016: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Tyler Clippard.
November 4, 2016: Claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
September 5, 2017: Designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels; released on September 10.
October 3, 2017: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Los Angeles Angels.
May 15, 2018: Released by the Los Angeles Angels.
January 30, 2019: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.