Andy Paz was remarkably composed.
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After a 20-hour journey from France, the RailCats’ catcher seemed to have already adjusted to the seven-hour time difference. His flight itinerary took him from Toulouse in France to Lisbon in Portugal, then to Boston and Chicago before he arrived in Gary.
Paz, who was born in Cuba and resides in France, wanted to get to work. After playing seven seasons in the Oakland Athletics’ organization, reaching as high as Class AA, the 25-year-old was ready for his first experience in an independent league.
Paz was familiar with the American Association and researched the RailCats’ history.
“It’s another opportunity to keep playing baseball, to keep doing what I love,” Paz said during the RailCats’ media day Friday, two days after he made it to the Region. “I just want to make the team in spring training and give 100 percent every day to help the team win any way I can — behind the plate helping my pitcher or with my bat.
“My goal is to win and to get back to affiliated ball.”
When Paz signed with the A’s in 2011 as an international free agent, he became the third French player to join a major league organization. In 2016, he became the first to reach Class AA. He played all of last season at that level with the Midland RockHounds.
Paz was born in Havana. In 2007 at the age of 14, he moved to France to live with his father, who relocated there two years earlier. His two brothers also live there.
Paz helped his mother and sister move to Miami from Cuba, where he also occasionally visits.
“I’m a little around everywhere, all over,” Paz said.
But he spends the majority of his offseason in Toulouse, in the southern part of France. The border with Spain, the beach and mountains all are an hour away.
“It’s a pretty good location,” Paz said.
Paz has represented France in international tournaments, beginning with a bronze-medal finish in the European Junior Championship in 2009 in Germany. His highlight has been playing in the World Baseball Classic qualifier in 2012 in Jupiter, Fla. and in 2016 in Panama City, Panama.
The second time around, France defeated Spain, typically one of the top teams in Europe.
“That was a great accomplishment,” Paz said. “We did a good job in the last qualifier.”
Paz aims to compete in the 2019 European Championship, with the hope of helping France make its Olympics debut when baseball returns for 2020 in Tokyo.
“I take pride in it,” Paz said of playing for the national team. “It’s good to see how French baseball is getting bigger. The federation is doing everything they can to put a good team together.”
RailCats manager Greg Tagert has high expectations for Paz. They “love everything” about returning catcher Wilfredo Gimenez, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity in January to add Paz.
“When Paz jumped up there, he’s an A’s product where we’ve had a good rapport with them over the years and we’ve had success with their players,” Tagert said. “The day Paz got released, the same manager who called me the day Mike Massaro got released said the same thing — sign this guy.
“He seems excited to be here and we’re excited to have him on the club.”
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