IBL's Toronto Maple Leafs sign Vinicio

The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed shortstop Jose Vinicio. Photo: CAPS Sports Photography

February 21, 2023

Official Toronto Maple Leafs News Release

TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed shortstop Jose Vinicio.

Vinicio, a native of Santo Domingo, D.R., returns to the Leafs after hitting .267 in his first Intercounty Baseball League season. Vinicio hit one home run, drove in 22, and stole 27 bases. He also played solid defence and had a great playoff run, hitting .333 with two home runs and nine stolen bases in 13 games.

"Jose is one of the finest defensive players the IBL has ever seen. His internal clock to know how much time he has is amazing and he makes everything look so easy" said Maple Leafs general manager Jeff Lounsbury. "As the season progressed his offensive numbers got more impressive and I think we will get a major uptick in production. Also, with talking to the veteran players it was obvious that Jose brought a lot of intangibles to the clubhouse as well."

Vinicio played nine years in the minor leagues in the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations, making it as high as triple-A. He had over 500 minor league hits and 100 stolen bases before joining the Maple Leafs last season.