Position: 1B/3B
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 03/09/2001
Country: Cuba
Signed: International Free Agent, 2018 (Cardinals)
How Acquired: Trade (from Cardinals, with Johan Oviedo, for Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton)
Bonus: $300,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2025
Options Left: 3
Overview
Nunez is a bat-first player whom the Cardinals signed out of Cuba. He got a lot of attention by putting up huge numbers in international play for Cuba and then in the DSL after signing with the Cards. He hasn’t been nearly as prolific since, but he’s generally had at least respectable performances while being young for his levels. He has good raw power, but hasn’t always been able to get to it in games. He does appear to have good plate discipline. Nunez originally was a third baseman and St. Louis tried to keep him there, but he moved to first in 2022. Scouts give him very low grades for speed and defense, although his arm is good. His mobility isn’t likely going to be good — the listed weight of 205 seems fanciful. The Pirates acquired Nunez at the trade deadline in the deal involving Jose Quintana.
2018-21
In his 2018 debut, Nunez put up playstation numbers in the DSL, winning the league’s triple crown. Probably a good deal of his dominance was him being more physically advanced than most of the league’s players. He spent most of his time at third, with five games at first. Baseball America rated him the Cards’ ninth best prospect after the season.
Nunez moved up to full season ball in 2019 but was overmatched, so St. Louis sent him back to extended spring training and then to the advanced rookie Appalachian League. He had just a mediocre season there, with limited power. He spent the pandemic season at the Cards’ alternate facility. He divided 2021 between high A and AA, hitting well at the lower level and just decently at the higher one. Nunez primarily played third in these years and struggled there.
2022-24
Nunez went back to AA and hit well, with 17 home runs in a little over half a season. One big caveat: He hit all but one of those at Springfield, which is a strong home run ballpark. The Pirates acquired him in a deadline deal. He went to Altoona and continued to hit well. He played third at both stops, but it’s unlikely going forward he’ll play there much with the Pirates. He was eligible for the Rule 5 draft after the season and the Pirates didn’t add him to the 40-man roster, probably gambling that first basemen aren’t popular in the draft. He wasn’t selected, which isn’t a great sign just the same. His 2023 season wasn’t a great sign, either. He missed half the season with injuries and got into just 67 games with Indianapolis. He batted just 237/314/357, with poor walk and K rates. He finished the season poorly, batting .196 in September.
In 2024, Nunez went back to Indy for the entire season. He played every day, two-thirds of the time at third and the rest at first. He hit only 250/310/365 with 11 home runs. He had a low walk rate of 8%, although his K rate of 21% was low for a system with severe swing-and-miss problems. Nunez seemed to be coming around in July, with an OPS of .891, but he fell off sharply to .511 and .578 in August and September, respectively. Nunez played the season at age 23, which is a good age for AAA, but his OPS, as a bat-first corner player, was 88 points below the league average.
Nunez would have been eligible for minor league free agency in Fall 2024, but the Pirates re-signed him to a minor league deal for 2025.
Stats
Transactions
July 3, 2018: Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an international free agent.
August 1, 2022: Traded by the St. Louis Cardinals with Johan Oviedo to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton.