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On This Day in Baseball History: January 5
Sources Lahman People + MLB StatsAPI0 debuts125 transactions
Every major-league debut, final game, transaction, birth and death recorded for January 5, newest first. Player names link to career pages where one exists, and each season links onward to that year’s awards and postseason archives.
Debuts0
Final games0
Transactions125
Born71
Died34
| Year | Player | That season |
|---|---|---|
| No major-league debuts are recorded for this date. | ||
| Year | Player | That season |
|---|---|---|
| No final games are recorded for this date. | ||
| Year | Move | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | San Francisco Giants signed free agent RHP Tyler Mahle. 2026 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2026 | Miami Marlins signed free agent RHP Jesus Tinoco to a minor league contract. 2026 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2026 | Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent RHP Noah Davis to a minor league contract. 2026 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2026 | St. Louis Cardinals signed free agent LHP Bruce Zimmermann to a minor league contract. 2026 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2026 | Texas Rangers signed free agent RHP Ben Anderson to a minor league contract. 2026 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2026 | Toronto Blue Jays signed free agent RHP Nic Enright to a minor league contract. 2026 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2025 | Washington Nationals signed free agent 1B Josh Bell. 2025 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2025 | Kansas City Royals signed free agent 2B Cavan Biggio to a minor league contract. 2025 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2024 | New York Yankees signed free agent RHP Cody Poteet. 2024 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2024 | Seattle Mariners traded LHP Robbie Ray to San Francisco Giants for RF Mitch Haniger, RHP Anthony DeSclafani and cash. 2024 transaction archive | |  |
| 2024 | Colorado Rockies signed free agent RHP Dakota Hudson. 2024 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2024 | Colorado Rockies signed free agent C Jacob Stallings. 2024 transaction archive | - | |
| 2024 | Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent 1B Austin Nola to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2024 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2024 | New York Mets signed free agent CF Harrison Bader. 2024 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2024 | Tampa Bay Rays traded LF Luke Raley to Seattle Mariners for SS José Caballero. 2024 transaction archive | |  |
| 2024 | Chicago White Sox signed free agent C Martín Maldonado. 2024 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2024 | Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Andrew Kittredge to St. Louis Cardinals for OF Richie Palacios. 2024 transaction archive | | |
| 2024 | Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent LHP Martín Pérez. 2024 transaction archive | - | |
| 2024 | Atlanta Braves signed free agent 3B Luis Guillorme. 2024 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2024 | Chicago White Sox signed free agent LF Rafael Ortega to a minor league contract. 2024 transaction archive | - | |
| 2024 | Oakland Athletics signed free agent C Carlos Pérez to a minor league contract. 2024 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2024 | Washington Nationals signed free agent 1B Lewin Díaz to a minor league contract. 2024 transaction archive | - | |
| 2023 | Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent LHP Rich Hill. 2023 transaction archive | - | |
| 2023 | Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent 3B Evan Longoria, and. 2023 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2023 | Chicago Cubs released 1B Alfonso Rivas. 2023 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2023 | Cincinnati Reds released 3B Mike Moustakas. 2023 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2023 | San Francisco Giants released 2B Tommy La Stella. 2023 transaction archive | - | |
| 2023 | Atlanta Braves signed free agent RHP Jake Elliott to a minor league contract. 2023 transaction archive | - | |
| 2023 | Chicago Cubs signed free agent RHP Nick Neidert to a minor league contract. 2023 transaction archive | - | |
| 2023 | Colorado Rockies signed free agent LHP Fernando Abad to a minor league contract. 2023 transaction archive | - | |
| 2023 | Minnesota Twins signed free agent C Chance Sisco to a minor league contract. 2023 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2023 | New York Yankees signed free agent RHP Matt Bowman to a minor league contract. 2023 transaction archive | - | |
| 2023 | Minnesota Twins signed free agent C Grayson Greiner to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2023 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Tampa Bay Rays traded LF Carl Chester to Texas Rangers. 2021 transaction archive | | |
| 2021 | Texas Rangers signed free agent RHP Drew Anderson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Detroit Tigers signed free agent LF Robbie Grossman. 2021 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent RHP Blake Treinen. 2021 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2021 | Chicago Cubs signed free agent 1B Patrick Wisdom to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | New York Yankees signed free agent 3B Andrew Velazquez to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent RHP Chase De Jong to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Kevin Munson to a minor league contract. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | New York Mets signed free agent 3B Brandon Drury to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent RHP Seth Frankoff to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | traded to New York Yankees for . 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Chicago Cubs signed free agent 1B Patrick Wisdom to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent RHP Seth Frankoff to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | San Francisco Giants signed free agent 2B Arismendy Alcantara to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Texas Rangers signed free agent P Drew Anderson. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | San Francisco Giants signed free agent CF Arismendy Alcantara. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent P Chase De Jong. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | New York Yankees signed free agent SS Andrew Velazquez. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | New York Mets signed free agent 2B Brandon Drury. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Chicago Cubs signed free agent 3B Patrick Wisdom. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent P Seth Frankoff. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent P Blake Treinen. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Detroit Tigers signed free agent LF Robbie Grossman. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent RHP Blake Treinen, and. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Detroit Tigers signed free agent LF Robbie Grossman, and. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2021 | Chicago White Sox signed free agent 3B Joe DeCarlo to a minor league contract. 2021 transaction archive | - | |
| 2019 | Milwaukee Brewers traded CF Keon Broxton to New York Mets for RHP Adam Hill, RHP Bobby Wahl and 2B Felix Valerio. 2019 transaction archive | | |
| 2019 | Baltimore Orioles traded 2B Breyvic Valera to San Francisco Giants for cash. 2019 transaction archive |  | |
| 2019 | Colorado Rockies signed free agent RHP Jose Marcano to a minor league contract. 2019 transaction archive | - | |
| 2019 | Colorado Rockies signed free agent SS Reiner Abello to a minor league contract. 2019 transaction archive | - | |
| 2019 | San Diego Padres signed free agent RHP Ryan Colegate to a minor league contract. 2019 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2019 | San Diego Padres signed free agent RHP Grant Sides to a minor league contract. 2019 transaction archive | - | |
| 2018 | Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent C Manuel Garcia to a minor league contract. 2018 transaction archive | - | |
| 2018 | San Diego Padres signed free agent SS Juan Garcia to a minor league contract. 2018 transaction archive | - | |
| 2018 | Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent RHP Rael Santos to a minor league contract. 2018 transaction archive | - | |
| 2018 | Baltimore Orioles signed free agent LHP Edinson Lopez to a minor league contract. 2018 transaction archive | - | |
| 2018 | Kansas City Royals signed free agent RHP Seth Maness to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2018 transaction archive | - | |
| 2018 | Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent RHP Tyler Jones to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2018 transaction archive | - | |
| 2018 | Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent RHP Bo Schultz to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2018 transaction archive | - | |
| 2018 | San Francisco Giants signed free agent C Hector Sanchez to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2018 transaction archive | - | |
| 2018 | Los Angeles Angels signed free agent 2B Jose Miguel Fernandez to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2018 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2017 | Cleveland Indians signed free agent DH Edwin Encarnacion. 2017 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2017 | Texas Rangers signed free agent RHP Jaye Chapman to a minor league contract. 2017 transaction archive | - | |
| 2017 | Texas Rangers signed free agent C Steven Lerud to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2017 transaction archive | - | |
| 2017 | Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LHP Cesar Ramos to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2017 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2017 | Boston Red Sox signed free agent LHP Cesar Cabral to a minor league contract. 2017 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2017 | Minnesota Twins signed free agent 1B Jonathan Rodriguez to a minor league contract. 2017 transaction archive | - | |
| 2017 | Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent RHP Ricardo Velasquez to a minor league contract. 2017 transaction archive | - | |
| 2016 | Cleveland Indians signed free agent 1B Mike Napoli. 2016 transaction archive | - | |
| 2016 | Oakland Athletics traded RHP Arnold Leon to Toronto Blue Jays for cash. 2016 transaction archive | | |
| 2016 | Texas Rangers signed free agent LHP Cesar Ramos to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2016 transaction archive | - | |
| 2016 | Pittsburgh Pirates released RHP Guido Knudson. 2016 transaction archive | - | |
| 2016 | Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent LF Eric Young Jr. to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2016 transaction archive | - | |
| 2016 | Houston Astros signed free agent C Alvaro Alvarez to a minor league contract. 2016 transaction archive | - |  |
| 2015 | Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Aaron Harang. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | New York Mets signed free agent RHP Buddy Carlyle to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | Texas Rangers signed free agent 2B Adam Rosales. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | Texas Rangers signed free agent RHP Juan Carlos Oviedo to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | Colorado Rockies signed free agent C Nick Hundley. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | Tampa Bay Rays signed free agent C Mayo Acosta to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | Baltimore Orioles signed free agent RHP Jose Mateo to a minor league contract. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | Boston Red Sox signed free agent RF Blake Tekotte to a minor league contract. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | Miami Marlins signed free agent LF Tyler Colvin to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent C Nevin Ashley to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | New York Yankees signed free agent RF Slade Heathcott to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2015 | Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Mitchell Boggs to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2015 transaction archive | - | |
| 2014 | Los Angeles Angels signed free agent LHP Justin Thomas to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2014 transaction archive | - | |
| 2013 | Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent 2B Alfredo Amezaga to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2013 transaction archive | - | |
| 2013 | Detroit Tigers signed free agent LF Mike Hernandez to a minor league contract. 2013 transaction archive | - | |
| 2013 | Baltimore Orioles signed free agent C Chase Weems to a minor league contract. 2013 transaction archive | - | |
| 2013 | Minnesota Twins signed free agent 2B Harold Garcia to a minor league contract. 2013 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Chicago Cubs traded RHP Carlos Zambrano to Miami Marlins for RHP Chris Volstad. 2012 transaction archive | | |
| 2012 | Miami Marlins signed free agent 1B Greg Dobbs. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent RHP Mike MacDougal. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Oakland Athletics signed free agent Coco Crisp. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Colorado Rockies signed free agent 3B Casey Blake. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Colorado Rockies traded RHP Greg Reynolds to Texas Rangers for 1B Chad Tracy. 2012 transaction archive | | |
| 2012 | Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Hisashi Iwakuma. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Washington Nationals signed free agent C James Skelton to a minor league contract. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Baltimore Orioles signed free agent RHP Ross Wolf to a minor league contract. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Toronto Blue Jays signed free agent RHP Vince Bongiovanni to a minor league contract. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Chicago Cubs signed free agent C Juan Apodaca to a minor league contract. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Cincinnati Reds signed free agent RHP John Holdzkom to a minor league contract. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Houston Astros signed free agent RHP Hector Corpas to a minor league contract. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | Toronto Blue Jays signed free agent LHP Jose Fernandez to a minor league contract. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2012 | San Francisco Giants signed free agent RHP Jose Casilla to a minor league contract. 2012 transaction archive | - | |
| 2011 | Baltimore Orioles signed free agent SS Cesar Izturis. 2011 transaction archive | - | |
| 2011 | Cleveland Indians signed free agent RHP Doug Mathis to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 2011 transaction archive | - | |
| 2011 | Texas Rangers signed free agent 3B Adrian Beltre. 2011 transaction archive | - | |
| 2011 | Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent RHP Takashi Saito. 2011 transaction archive | - | |
| 2011 | Washington Nationals signed free agent LHP Brian Escolastico to a minor league contract. 2011 transaction archive | - | |
| 2011 | Washington Nationals signed free agent OF Dionicio Rosario to a minor league contract. 2011 transaction archive | - | |
| Year | Player |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Cody Freeman |
| 2001 | Vaughn Grissom |
| 1998 | Paxton Schultz |
| 1993 | John Nogowski |
| 1992 | A. J. Cole |
| 1990 | C. J. Cron |
| 1990 | Danny Ortiz |
| 1990 | Jose Iglesias |
| 1989 | Eduardo Escobar |
| 1986 | J. P. Arencibia |
| 1982 | Nori Aoki |
| 1981 | Andy Cavazos |
| 1979 | Ruben Quevedo |
| 1977 | Eric Junge |
| 1976 | Kevin Witt |
| 1974 | Damon Minor |
| 1974 | Mark Redman |
| 1974 | Ryan Minor |
| 1973 | Fred Rath |
| 1973 | Ramon Tatis |
| 1971 | Jason Bates |
| 1967 | Chris Nabholz |
| 1966 | Steve Shifflett |
| 1965 | Juan Nieves |
| 1963 | Jeff Fassero |
| 1963 | John Davis |
| 1962 | Danny Jackson |
| 1961 | Henry Cotto |
| 1961 | John Russell |
| 1961 | Roger Samuels |
| 1959 | Milt Thompson |
| 1958 | Ron Kittle |
| 1957 | Bob Dernier |
| 1954 | John Littlefield |
| 1953 | Jim Gantner |
| 1951 | Bob Reece |
| 1948 | Bill Laxton |
| 1948 | Charlie Hough |
| 1947 | Sandy Vance |
| 1944 | Charlie Vinson |
| 1944 | Tom Kelley |
| 1942 | Wally Wolf |
| 1936 | Bud Bloomfield |
| 1936 | Daryl Robertson |
| 1935 | Earl Battey |
| 1928 | Bob Oldis |
| 1924 | Fred Marsh |
| 1918 | Jack Kramer |
| 1914 | Jack Salveson |
| 1914 | Joe Grace |
| 1911 | Ted Petoskey |
| 1908 | Regis Leheny |
| 1901 | Luke Sewell |
| 1899 | Bill Hunnefield |
| 1899 | Bob Kinsella |
| 1898 | Riggs Stephenson |
| 1897 | Art Delaney |
| 1892 | Chuck Wortman |
| 1890 | Benny Kauff |
| 1888 | Rube Foster |
| 1885 | Art Fletcher |
| 1880 | Dutch Jordan |
| 1880 | Jim Byrnes |
| 1880 | Newt Hunter |
| 1879 | Zaza Harvey |
| 1877 | William Matthews |
| 1875 | Izzy Hoffman |
| 1870 | Bill Dahlen |
| 1864 | Bob Caruthers |
| 1861 | John McGlone |
| 1855 | George Newell |
| Year | Player | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Carl Duser | 90 |
| 2023 | Nate Colbert | 76 |
| 2021 | Don Leppert | 90 |
| 2016 | Jay Ritchie | 79 |
| 2014 | Jerry Coleman | 89 |
| 2006 | Rod Dedeaux | 91 |
| 2004 | Tug McGraw | 59 |
| 1997 | Emil Roy | 89 |
| 1996 | Elmer Singleton | 77 |
| 1994 | Jack Brittin | 69 |
| 1990 | Bobby Balcena | 64 |
| 1987 | Dale Mitchell | 65 |
| 1982 | Neal Baker | 77 |
| 1979 | George Washburn | 64 |
| 1978 | Snipe Conley | 85 |
| 1976 | Ed Sperber | 80 |
| 1976 | Gene Elliott | 86 |
| 1975 | Don Wilson | 29 |
| 1969 | Larry Pratt | 81 |
| 1969 | Tiny Osborne | 75 |
| 1965 | Frank Manush | 81 |
| 1963 | Rogers Hornsby | 66 |
| 1962 | Frank Snyder | 67 |
| 1961 | Fred Luderus | 75 |
| 1960 | Clay Van Alstyne | 59 |
| 1954 | Rabbit Maranville | 62 |
| 1953 | Mike Cantwell | 58 |
| 1953 | Pete Lapan | 61 |
| 1949 | Ralph Edwards | 66 |
| 1945 | Bill Hobbs | 51 |
| 1940 | Charlie Kelly | 77 |
| 1937 | Ben Beville | 59 |
| 1936 | Will Sawyer | 71 |
| 1932 | George Sharrott | 62 |
About these records
Every dated event on this page is read directly from the source tables: debuts, final games, birth dates and death dates from the SABR / Sean Lahman baseball database (2025 edition, People table), used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, and transactions from the official MLB StatsAPI transactions archive captured through 2026-10-22. Nothing is inferred: a record appears here only when the source carries a complete month and day for January 5.
Honesty notes: the staged People table records complete dates or none, and no partial dates had to be excluded. Missing dates are not unknowns everywhere: an empty death date means the player is living (10,918 rows), an empty final-game date means no end date is recorded (1,932 rows), and 398 rows have no birth date. Early records reach back to the 1870s; 19th-century dates reflect the best retrospective research in the source and are shown exactly as recorded. Award winners and postseason series are staged by season with no calendar day in the source, so they are linked from each season above instead of being dated here. The transaction window covers 2011 to 2026 only. Player names link to career pages for every player who has one.
See the sources page for every dataset behind Legends Deck.