News

The Fargo-Moorhead signed veteran INF Dionys Cesar to a contract before Tuesday morning’s game against the Sioux Falls Canaries.  The RedHawks have also released OF Nick Akins.

Cesar, 36, is a veteran of 19 seasons in professional baseball and has played up to the Triple-A level, in the Japanese Major Leagues, in Mexico and in the independent Atlantic and Golden Baseball Leagues.  Last season, he batted .302 with 16 doubles, four home runs, 28 RBIs and 32 runs scored in 50 games with the Reynosa Broncos of the Mexican League.  He finished the summer with the Sugar Land (TX) Skeeters of the Atlantic League, where he batted .267 with seven doubles, three home runs, ten RBIs and 22 runs scored in 36 games.

Cesar was signed as a free agent by the Oakland Athletics in 1993 and made his professional debut in 1994 with the Athletics of the Dominican Summer League.  He reached Double-A with the A’s in 1999 and 2000 before moving on to the Milwaukee Brewers organization.  He spent the next four seasons mainly at the Triple-A level before signing with the Monterrey Sultanes of the Mexican League in 2005.  He was named MVP of the Mexican League in 2009 when he batted a league-best .380 with 92 runs, 36 doubles and 40 stolen bases.

Cesar’s career eventually led him to Japan, where he played with the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central League in 2010.  He played 51 games with Chinuchi and batted .215 with seven doubles, one home run and ten RBIs.

Akins batted .273 with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs in six games for Fargo-Moorhead this season.