It also says a whole lot about how someone who heard the word “no” so often managed to make his way to the big leagues. Progress through the Twins system was slow and methodical for Solarte, who started off in the Dominican Summer League and climbed the ladder step-by-step, not allowing a shoulder surgery that cost him almost the entire 2009 season derail him. In 2011, his first full season at double-A, his game really came together, as he batted .329/.367/.466 in 121 games, mostly at second base.

At season’s end, the Twins, who had lost 99 games after winning consecutive AL Central titles, had to decide whether to add Solarte to their 40-man roster. He assumed it would be a given, based on his season. Instead, he was granted free agency. “I really thought, ‘OK, this is my year. I did pretty well; I did amazing,’” says Solarte. “When they offered me a contract to come back to double-A, I said, ‘Listen, I’d rather work at Walmart than take what you’re offering me, because I’m going to make the same amount of money.’

“I really appreciate what the Twins did, because they gave me an opportunity. But that is the one time that I really got hurt, because I did everything I could and they didn’t put me on the 40-man roster to give me a chance to move on.”

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It didn’t take Solarte long to get over that hurdle, becoming “even more fired up because I knew I was good.” About a month after his release, he signed a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers, who assigned him to triple-A Round Rock. He posted an OPS of .745 in 2012 but didn’t receive a call up. After he re-signed with the Rangers for 2013, he posted an OPS of .727 and again didn’t break through with Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus locked in up the middle.

“They promised me I was going to get called up in September, which didn’t happen. So for the second time in three years, I got really hurt. I was heartbroken,” says Solarte, who played mostly second but also saw time at short, third, first and left field in Round Rock. “That’s why when I play against Texas, I have a little bit more emotion, because of what they promised, because of the lies.”

A free agent once again ahead of the 2014 season, Solarte’s versatility in the field increased the demand for him. The Yankees were among several teams that expressed interest. They were also the most persistent and were in need of infielders with Alex Rodriguez serving a season-long suspension for PED use, Robinson Cano departing via free agency and lingering uncertainty around Derek Jeter. “A lot of people were like, ‘Don’t sign with them, it’s going to be really hard because they’re so good,’” says Solarte. “But I believed in myself. And I actually made it with them, they’re the ones that actually gave me a chance to be an everyday player.

“How beautiful is that? You have to believe — even if it’s as hard as you think it is — that it’s possible. I just showed everybody, listen, I knew I could do it. I wanted to do it and it happened.”