1. Personal Information
Deibinson Romero's personal details include his birth information and nationality.
1.1. Birth and Nationality
Deibinson Joel Romero was born on September 24, 1986. He is a national of the Dominican Republic. His full name in Spanish is Deibinson Joel RomeroSpanish.
2. Player Career
Romero's professional baseball career spans over a decade, encompassing various leagues in the United States, South Korea, Mexico, and independent circuits.
2.1. United States Minor League Baseball
Romero spent 10 seasons playing in the minor leagues within the United States.
2.1.1. Minnesota Twins
Romero signed with the Minnesota Twins in July 2004. In July 2008, he suffered a broken leg. The Twins added Romero to their 40-man roster on November 19, 2008, but removed him from the roster on November 20, 2009. He spent the 2010 season with the advanced Single-A Fort Myers Miracle. He then played the 2011 and 2012 seasons with the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats. He received invitations to Spring Training in both 2013 and 2014 but did not make the major league club in either year, spending both seasons in the minor leagues.
2.1.2. Pittsburgh Pirates
On December 1, 2014, Romero signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was described by Fangraphs as a top minor league free agent. While playing for the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians, Romero participated in 37 games. In these games, he batted 0.301 (37 hits in 123 at-bats), recorded 6 home runs, 27 RBI, a 0.396 OBP, and a 0.545 slugging percentage. He was released by the Pirates in May 2015 to pursue an opportunity to play in South Korea.
2.1.3. New York Yankees
On February 1, 2016, Romero signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees, joining Tyler Cloyd, who had previously played in the KBO League. Romero was subsequently released by the Yankees on May 29, 2016.
2.2. Korean Professional Baseball
Romero played in the KBO League, South Korea's professional baseball organization.
2.2.1. Doosan Bears
On May 26, 2015, Romero agreed to a contract with the Doosan Bears of the KBO League, joining the team as a replacement foreign hitter for Zach Lutz. He made his KBO debut on June 5, 2015. On June 7, 2015, in a game against Nexen, he recorded his first back-to-back home runs in Korean professional baseball, contributing to the Doosan Bears' 9-4 victory. For the 2015 season, Romero played in 76 games, slashing 0.253 (batting average), 0.328 (on-base percentage), and 0.449 (slugging percentage), along with 12 home runs and 50 RBI. He was part of the Doosan Bears team that won the Korean Series in 2015. However, he showed a decline in performance during the second half of the season and recorded no hits and committed errors during the Korean Series. Consequently, the Doosan Bears did not re-sign him for the following season, and he was replaced by Nick Evans.
2.3. Mexican Baseball League
Romero also played in the professional baseball leagues in Mexico.
2.3.1. Delfines del Carmen
On June 7, 2016, Romero signed with the Delfines del Carmen of the Mexican Baseball League. In 13 games with the team, he hit 0.262 (batting average), 0.360 (on-base percentage), and 0.476 (slugging percentage), with 2 home runs and 7 RBI.
2.3.2. Rojos del Águila de Veracruz
On June 28, 2016, Romero was traded to the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican Baseball League. In his first 2 games with the team, he went 0-for-6. He was released on July 1, 2016. Romero was later reassigned to the team on March 31, 2017, and was subsequently released again on July 10, 2017. Across his tenure with the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz, he played in 72 games, batting 0.269 with a 0.352 OBP and a 0.370 slugging percentage, accumulating 6 home runs, 36 RBI, and 1 stolen base.
2.4. North American Independent Baseball
Following his time in affiliated and Mexican leagues, Romero played for several teams in North American independent baseball.
2.4.1. New Britain Bees
On March 6, 2018, Romero signed with the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 120 games during the 2018 season, he hit 0.255 with a 0.344 OBP and a 0.437 slugging percentage, along with 18 home runs and 71 RBI. He re-signed with the team in early 2019, playing in 43 games where he batted 0.266 with a 0.364 OBP and a 0.364 slugging percentage, recording 3 home runs and 12 RBI.
2.4.2. Long Island Ducks
On June 25, 2019, Romero was traded to the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2019 ALPB Championship Series, leading all players with 9 RBI and tying for the lead in total bases (15) and home runs (2). He re-signed with the Ducks for the 2020 season, but the ALPB season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing him from playing any games. On June 29, 2021, Romero re-signed with the Ducks again. In 79 games for the Ducks in 2021, he hit 0.252 with a 0.388 OBP and a 0.430 slugging percentage, contributing 10 home runs and 47 RBI. He became a free agent after the 2021 season but re-signed with the Ducks for the 2022 season on March 11, 2022.
2.4.3. Staten Island FerryHawks
On March 28, 2023, Romero was traded to the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 29 games played for Staten Island, he posted a batting average of 0.191, an on-base percentage of 0.274, and a slugging percentage of 0.286, along with 1 home run and 12 RBI. On July 18, Romero was released by the team.
2.5. International Competitions
Romero has also represented his home country in international baseball tournaments.
2.5.1. Dominican Republic National Team
Before the 2019 season, Romero was selected to play for the Dominican Republic national baseball team at the 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier.
3. Awards
Romero has received a significant individual award during his career in independent baseball.
3.1. ALPB Championship Series MVP
In 2019, Deibinson Romero was recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Championship Series. His performance in the series was notable for leading all players in RBI (9) and tying for the lead in both total bases (15) and home runs (2).