NEW YORK — Cody Decker, like almost all of the players on Team Israel, is an American. He was born in Santa Monica, Calif., went to UCLA and was picked by the Padres in the 22nd round of the 2009 draft. Decker was a September callup last year with San Diego, going 0-for-11 with a run batted in on a sacrifice fly.
Decker was outrighted off the Padres’ 40-man roster last November, opted for free agency and joined the Royals organization. For the 29-year-old, 2016 has been a long and winding road.
He was one of the final cuts from Royals camp this spring, and even though he hit three home runs in his first seven games for Triple-A Omaha, was traded to Colorado.