1. Early Life and Amateur Career
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, Robert Coello attended Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake, Florida. Following high school, he continued his baseball career at Northwest Florida State College. In the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, Coello was selected as a catcher by the Cincinnati Reds in the 20th round, 588th overall. However, a rib injury forced him to miss the entire 2005 season. He was subsequently released by the Reds on March 27, 2006, without having played a professional game for the organization.
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2. Professional Career
Robert Coello's professional baseball career began in 2004 as a catcher, but he later transitioned to pitching, playing across various minor league and independent baseball teams before reaching Major League Baseball and the KBO League.
2.1. Minor League and Independent Baseball
After his release from the Cincinnati Reds organization, Coello signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on September 7, 2006. In 2007, he converted from a catcher to a pitcher, making 20 appearances for the rookie-level Arizona League Angels, where he recorded a 1-1 record with a 1.37 ERA. He became a free agent on October 29, 2007.
In 2008, Coello joined independent baseball, first playing for the Calgary Vipers of the Golden Baseball League, where he pitched in 12 games, achieving a 1-1 record and a 5.74 ERA. On July 3, he was transferred to the Edmonton Capitals, making 20 appearances and posting a 2-0 record with a 1.78 ERA.
On November 10, 2008, Coello signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. In 2009, he began the season with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox before being demoted to the Class A-Advanced Salem Red Sox in late April. For Salem, he appeared in 33 games, accumulating a 5-3 record with 2 saves and a 2.05 ERA. The 2010 season saw Coello start with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, where he made 14 appearances, going 4-1 with 1 save and a 3.32 ERA. He was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket in June, pitching in 18 games and recording a 3-5 record with a 4.22 ERA. Across his three minor league seasons with the Red Sox organization, he held a combined record of 13-10 with a 2.91 ERA.
After being designated for assignment by the Red Sox, Coello was traded to the Chicago Cubs on February 15, 2011, in exchange for minor league second baseman Tony Thomas. He opened the 2011 season with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, pitching in 30 games and posting a 6-6 record with 1 save and a 4.45 ERA. He was designated for assignment on May 27, 2011, and subsequently outrighted to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies on June 4, where he made 4 appearances, going 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA. He became a free agent on November 2, 2011.
On December 1, 2011, Coello signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He spent the majority of 2012 with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s, appearing in 19 games (including three starts), and accumulating a 4-1 record with a 3.00 ERA.
Coello returned to the Angels organization on January 28, 2013, signing a minor league contract that included an invitation to big league Spring Training. He started the 2013 season with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, where he made 15 appearances, recording a 1-0 record with 4 saves. On September 2, 2013, he made one appearance for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers.
In 2015, Coello signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants on February 17. During his time with the Giants' Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats, he started 11 games. He later exercised an opt-out clause in his contract and became a free agent on June 1. Coello then signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers in August 2015.
Over his six-year minor league career, Coello compiled a 3.33 ERA in 171 games (31 starts). He maintained a rate of 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings, 3.9 walks per nine innings, and a 1.23 WHIP.
2.2. Major League Baseball (MLB)
Robert Coello made his Major League Baseball debut in 2010 and subsequently played for several MLB teams throughout his career.
2.2.1. Boston Red Sox
Coello was first called up to the major leagues by the Boston Red Sox on September 5, 2010. He made his MLB debut the following day against the Tampa Bay Rays, entering the game in the seventh inning with a nine-run lead but struggling, giving up three hits, three earned runs, and two walks while recording only one out before being relieved. In total, he made six relief appearances for the Red Sox in 2010, finishing with a 4.76 ERA. He was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on February 9, 2011.
2.2.2. Chicago Cubs
On February 15, 2011, Coello was traded to the Chicago Cubs. However, his tenure with the organization was brief, as he was designated for assignment by the Cubs on May 27, 2011.
2.2.3. Toronto Blue Jays
Coello signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on December 9, 2011. He was placed on the 40-man roster on May 31, 2012, and made his first major league appearance for the Blue Jays. While he was demoted to Triple-A on June 7, he was recalled on June 16. On June 18, pitching against the Milwaukee Brewers, he entered in the sixth inning and gave up one earned run in the seventh, which became the deciding run, marking his first MLB loss. He was again demoted on June 26. In his six appearances for the Blue Jays in 2012, he allowed 12 earned runs in 12 innings. Coello was placed on the 60-day disabled list on July 20 due to a right elbow injury. On October 9, the Blue Jays reinstated him from the disabled list and outrighted him off their 40-man roster, after which he refused the assignment and elected free agency.
2.2.4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Coello signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on January 28, 2013, with an invitation to major league spring training. He was called up to the majors on May 11, 2013. On May 18, against the Chicago White Sox, he pitched 1.2 innings of hitless, scoreless baseball, striking out three batters, and earned his first MLB win. However, on June 11, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a right shoulder injury, and later transferred to the 60-day disabled list on August 21. In 2013, he made 16 appearances for the Angels, recording a 2-2 record with 1 save and a 3.71 ERA. He was outrighted off the roster on October 8, 2013, and became a free agent on October 10.
2.2.5. Other MLB Affiliates
On January 8, 2014, Coello signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees, opting out of his contract on July 2, 2014. Just nine days later, on July 11, he signed another minor league deal, this time with the Baltimore Orioles. In 2015, after exercising his opt-out clause from his contract with the Giants, he signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers in August.
2.3. KBO League
Coello's international career included a stint in the KBO League.
2.3.1. Nexen Heroes
On December 3, 2015, Robert Coello signed a one-year contract worth 550.00 K USD with the Nexen Heroes of the KBO League, serving as a replacement for Andy Van Hekken, who had departed for Japan. He was primarily utilized as a starter for the team.
Coello made his KBO debut as a starter on April 2, 2016, against the Lotte Giants, pitching 5 innings and allowing only 1 earned run, earning his first win in the league. While he often pitched at least 5 innings, he struggled to consistently deliver longer outings typical of an innings eater. On April 21, 2016, against the SK Wyverns, he recorded his first quality start of the season, pitching 6 innings and allowing 3 runs (2 earned). Compared to other domestic starting pitchers on the team, such as Shin Jae-young and Park Ju-hyun, who were known for their low walk rates, Coello issued a significantly higher number of walks. Despite his control issues, his ability to often pitch at least 5 innings earned him the nickname 'Ko-Kkuyeok' (코꾸역Ko-kku-yeokKorean), which roughly translates to "Coello enduring" or "Coello gritting through."
On June 16, 2016, Coello was officially waived by the Nexen Heroes. This decision was made due to concerns over his increasing walk rate, which led to a rise in opponent batting average and placed a burden on the bullpen, contributing to pitcher fatigue. He became the second foreign player to be waived in the 2016 KBO season, following Colin Balester. For the 2016 season, Coello pitched in 12 games, recording a 6-5 record with a 3.77 ERA. He was subsequently replaced by Scott McGregor.
3. Playing Style and Repertoire
Robert Coello was known for his distinctive pitching mechanics and a varied repertoire that included a fastball and a changeup. His most notable pitch was a unique forkball that he nicknamed "The WTF." This pitch was characterized by its unusual, no-spin movement, often described as resembling a knuckleball, which made it particularly difficult for opposing hitters to predict. His fastball reportedly reached speeds of up to 93 mph (150 km/h).
4. Career Statistics
Robert Coello's professional career included appearances in Major League Baseball and the KBO League.
4.1. Major League Baseball
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | W | L | SV | HLD | W-L% | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | BOS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 26 | 5.2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4.76 | 1.59 |
| 2012 | TOR | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 33 | 6.1 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 12.79 | 2.21 |
| 2013 | LAA | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 73 | 17.0 | 14 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3.71 | 1.29 |
| MLB Totals (3 years) | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .400 | 132 | 29.0 | 28 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 5.90 | 1.55 | |
4.2. KBO League
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | W | L | SV | HLD | W-L% | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Nexen | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .545 | 271 | 62.0 | 50 | 6 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 26 | 3.77 | 1.48 |
| KBO Totals (1 year) | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .545 | 271 | 62.0 | 50 | 6 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 26 | 3.77 | 1.48 | |
4.3. Minor League
Over his six-year minor league career, Robert Coello compiled a 3.33 ERA in 171 games, 31 of which were starts. He maintained a rate of 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.9 walks per nine innings, with a 1.23 WHIP. Notably, in his three minor league seasons with the Red Sox organization, he accumulated a record of 13-10.
5. Jersey Numbers
Robert Coello wore several jersey numbers throughout his professional career:
- 68 (2010)
- 56 (2012)
- 59 (2013)
- 23 (2016)
6. Retirement and Post-Playing Career
Robert Coello's professional baseball career concluded after he was waived by the Nexen Heroes in the KBO League on June 16, 2016. As of available information, details regarding his formal retirement announcement or activities following his playing career are not widely publicized.