| Liván Soto | |
| Team: | Baltimore Orioles |
| Number: | 73 |
| Position: | Shortstop / Second baseman |
| Birth Date: | 22 June 2000 |
| Bats: | Left |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | September 17 |
| Debutyear: | 2022 |
| Debutteam: | Los Angeles Angels |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Statyear: | June 26, 2024 |
| Stat1label: | Batting average |
| Stat1value: | .358 |
| Stat2label: | Home runs |
| Stat2value: | 1 |
| Stat3label: | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value: | 9 |
| Teams: | |
Liván Enrique Soto (born June 22, 2000) is a Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels and the Cincinnati Reds.
Soto signed with the Atlanta Braves on July 2, 2016 as an international free agent.[1] He made his professional debut for the Gulf Coast League Braves in 2017, appearing in 47 games and ending the season with a .225 batting average.[2] He was granted free agency on November 21, 2017 after Major League Baseball voided the contracts of nine Braves' minor league players after the league announced the Braves had violated international signing rules from 2015 to 2017.[3]
On December 15, 2017, Soto signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels organization.[1] He spent the season with the Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League. He split the season with the AZL Angels and the Burlington Bees. Soto did not play in a game in due to cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
In, he advanced to the Single-A and Double-A levels, appearing with the Tri-City Dust Devils and Rocket City Trash Pandas.[2] Soto began the 2022 season with Rocket City and was named the Southern League Player of the Week on July 11 after going 11-for-21 in six games. At the time, he was leading the league in hits and among the league leaders in batting average and on-base percentage.[2] [5]
On September 17, 2022, Soto was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[6] The following day against the Seattle Mariners, Soto collected his first career hit and home run, with both coming off of Seattle starter Marco Gonzales.[7] Soto appeared in 18 games for the Angels in his rookie campaign, slashing an excellent .400/.414/.582 with one home run and nine RBI. Soto was optioned to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees to begin the 2023 season.[8] He played in only four games for the Angels in 2023, going 2–for–9 (.222) with three walks.
On February 3, 2024, Soto was designated for assignment by the Angels to open a spot on the 40-man roster for newly signed José Cisnero[9] and on February 8, he was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.[10] He was designated for assignment by the Orioles on February 16[11] and returned to the Angels via another waiver claim on February 18.[12] Soto was optioned to Triple–A Salt Lake to begin the 2024 season.[13] He was once more designated for assignment by the Angels on April 8.[14]
On April 11, 2024, Soto was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.[15] He appeared in one game for the Triple–A Norfolk Tides, going 2–for–4 (.500) with a home run and two RBI. Soto was designated for assignment on April 16, following the promotion of David Bañuelos.[16]
On April 19, 2024, Soto was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.[17] He appeared in only one game for Cincinnati, and was designated for assignment by the Reds on July 30.[18]
On July 30, 2024, the Reds traded Soto, outfielder Austin Slater, and cash considerations to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.[19]