Chavez enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and second in the Atlantic League. He previously played for the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2016. That year, Chavez led the league with a .345 batting average along with two home runs and 37 RBI. Last season, he hit .343 with five home runs and 59 RBI over 93 games with Pericos de Puebla in the Mexican League.

The Venezuelan national has 13 seasons of service in the big leagues. Chavez broke into the majors in 2001 with the Kansas City Royals before spending the next three seasons with the Montreal Expos. He appeared in 91 games with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005, after which he signed as a free agent with the Mets and began a notable three-year stint in Queens.

Chavez hit a career-high .306 with four home runs, 42 RBI and 12 stolen bases over 133 games with the Mets in 2006, but is best remembered for his game-saving catch in Game Seven of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He robbed Scott Rolen of a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to keep the game tied and send Shea Stadium into a frenzy, resulting in two curtain calls. Chavez spent the next two seasons in New York, earning fan-favorite status before he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2009.

Chavez resurfaced in the majors in 2011 where he hit .301 over 83 games with the Texas Rangers. He then spent parts of the next three seasons at the game’s highest level with the Baltimore Orioles and again with the Mariners.

At the plate, Chavez owns a .270 career average with 30 home runs, 266 RBI and 106 stolen bases over 13 seasons in the big leagues. He also owns a .291 overall average over his 20-year professional career.