RetroSimba

(Updated Jan. 22, 2022)

During spring training in 2010, Ruben Gotay was considered a candidate to earn an Opening Day roster spot with the Cardinals as a utility player. Instead, he spent the season in the minors.

Three years later, Gotay was back in Cardinals spring training camp as a surprise fill-in at the minor-league level.

On March 27, 2013, during the last week of spring training camp at Jupiter, Fla., Gotay signed with the Cardinals and reported to Springfield to become the starting third baseman for the Class AA Texas League club.

The signing was a stunner because Gotay, 30, hadn’t received interest from any major-league organization after spending the 2012 season in the minor-league systems of the Blue Jays and Braves.

Five years removed from his last big-league appearance with the 2008 Braves, Gotay was home in Puerto Rico, trying to land a spot with an independent league team, when the Cardinals called.

According to Kary Booher of the Springfield News-Leader, Gotay became Springfield’s oldest player since infielder Aaron Miles, 34, was on the club in May 2010.

The Cardinals were in need of a Class AA third baseman because the projected starter, Matt Cerda, 22, left camp, saying he may pursue a different career. The Cardinals weren’t ready to put a top third base prospect, such as Patrick Wisdom, at Class AA, so they went looking for a veteran.

“I’ve been blessed,” Gotay said to the Springfield News-Leader. “It feels pretty good to be back in the field.”

Three years earlier, after signing a free-agent contract with the Cardinals, Gotay was considered a versatile talent who could fill a utility role for them.

He had played four seasons in the big leagues with the Royals (2004-05), Mets (2007) and Braves (2008) before spending 2009 in the minor leagues.

Gotay was one of four non-roster infielders at the 2010 Cardinals’ major-league spring training camp. The others: Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma and Donovan Solano.

In 2010, Gotay was the best-known player in that group. As the starting second baseman for the Royals in 2005, Gotay had a 3-for-3 game against the Cardinals’ Matt Morris on May 21 Boxscore and followed that the next day with a home run off the Cardinals’ Jeff Suppan. Boxscore

His uncle, Julio Gotay, had been the Cardinals’ starting shortstop in 1962.

In January 2010, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote, “Gotay is given the best chance among non-roster infielders to break camp with the club.”

That same month, Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote, “Gotay is intriguing. Could he surprise and do for the 2010 Cardinals what Abraham Nunez did for the 2005 team?”

In an exhibition game against the Mets at Jupiter, Gotay hit a walkoff home run for a 6-5 Cardinals victory. Noting that Gotay had fouled off several fastballs before hitting the full-count homer, Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch reported it was “the kind of ninth-inning at-bat that gets attention.”

Gotay’s chance of earning a spot with the 2010 Cardinals was set back when they signed free-agent infielder Felipe Lopez during spring training. With two weeks left in camp, the Cardinals reassigned Gotay to Class AAA Memphis.

Five months later, August 2010, Cardinals third baseman David Freese suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Gotay was batting .271 with a .400 on-base percentage at Memphis, but the Cardinals traded for fading veteran Pedro Feliz of the Astros rather than call up Gotay.

Strauss of the Post-Dispatch wrote that Gotay “fit a statistical profile” but was “judged unsuitable for promotion.”

“Gotay’s defensive shortcomings became obvious to the major-league staff before spring training ended,” Strauss wrote. “He never received consideration as an emergency option.”

Gotay finished the 2010 season with 135 hits in 139 games for Memphis. He had 30 doubles, 13 home runs, 70 RBI, 95 walks, a .285 batting average and a .410 on-base percentage. He made 17 errors at third base. Gotay was granted free agency after the season and signed with the Marlins organization.

With the Cardinals’ Springfield club, managed by Mike Shildt, in 2013, Gotay played third base, batted .279 in 133 games and led the team in hits (139) and RBI (89).