Position: OF
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 190 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 03/05/1996
Country: Venezuela
Signed: International Free Agent, 2014 (Blue Jays)
How Acquired: Trade (with Royals for Deivis Nadal)
Bonus: $1,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Minor League Free Agency: 2024
Options Left: 1
Overview
Olivares signed with Toronto out of the Dominican in 2014 at age 18 for a minimal bonus. He’s an outfielder with solid contact skills and moderate power, but he rarely walks. As a major leaguer, he has a walk rate of just 5.3%, and a reasonable strikeout rate of 18.7%. He’s had a very small platoon split. Olivares has played a little in center, but mostly in the corners. Statcast rates his speed and arm strength both as well above average. Both OAA and UZR, though, grade him well below average defensively. He stole a lot of bases in the low minors, but hasn’t run much in the majors.
2014-18
Olivares spent his first three years in rookie-level ball. He hit very well in the Dominican Summer League in 2014, with an .850 OPS, then batted just .198 the next year in the Gulf Coast League. Both years his OBP was inflated by extremely high hit-by-pitch totals (over 8% of his plate appearances). Olivares missed most of 2016 due to injury, playing just 15 games in the Appalachian League.
In 2017 and 2018, Olivares played in Low and High Class A, respectively. In between he got traded from Toronto to San Diego. Olivares hit well in Low A, with 17 home runs and an .830 OPS. In High A, he posted a .750 OPS, but in the high-offense California League that was only a little above average. In both seasons he had weak BB:K ratios, with 51 walks and 184 strikeouts total. The Padres added him to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season.
2019-20
In 2019, Olivares had a good year in AA, batting 283/349/453 with 18 home runs. Baseball America ranked him the Padres’ 17th best prospect after the season. He spent much of the abbreviated 2020 season in the majors, about half with the Padres and half with Kansas City, as he got traded to the Royals at the end of August. For the season he hit 240/267/375.
2021-24
Olivares spent 2021 going up and down between AAA and the majors; in all, he got optioned nine separate times. He hammered AAA pitching for a 313/397/559 line with 15 home runs in half a season, but batted 238/291/406 for the Royals. In 2022, Olivares missed a month starting in early May due to an oblique strain, then he missed half of July and all of August after straining the other oblique. When he was able to play he spent about two-thirds of his time in the majors. He hit better with the Royals this time, with a 286/333/410 line.
The Royals kept Olivares in the majors for most of 2023, with him splitting most of his time between left field and DH. He again showed moderate power and contact skills, but seldom walked. His line was 263/317/452. After the season, the Royals traded Olivares to the Pirates for Deivis Nadal.
Olivares made the Pirates’ opening day roster in 2024, but he hit poorly and was finally sent to AAA in July. He didn’t hit well there, either, and the Pirates designated him for assignment in August. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Indianapolis.
Stats
Transactions
July 2, 2014: Signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent.
January 6, 2018: Traded by the Toronto Blue Jays with Jared Carkuff to the San Diego Padres for Yangervis Solarte.
November 20, 2018: Contract purchased by the San Diego Padres.
August 29, 2020: Traded by the San Diego Padres with Dylan Coleman to the Kansas City Royals for Trevor Rosenthal.
December 15, 2023: Traded by the Kansas City Royals to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Deivis Nadal.
August 10, 2024: Outrighted to AAA by the Pittsburgh Pirates.