What is Esteban Loaiza's Net Worth?
Esteban Loaiza is a retired Mexican-born professional baseball player who has a net worth of $5 million. Esteban Loaiza played in the MLB for various teams from 1995 to 2008. After starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he played for the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Among his achievements, Loaiza led the AL in strikeouts in 2003. Unfortunately Esteban has experienced some legal troubles over the years, including a 2018 arrest on charges of drug trafficking which we'll detail later in this article. He served three years in prison and was deported to Mexico after being released in August 2021.
Career Earnings
During his career Esteban earned $44 million from salary alone during his time in MLB. He earned additional millions from endorsements.
Career Beginnings
Esteban Loaiza was born December 31, 1971 in Tijuana, Mexico. Loaiza was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an undrafted free agent on March 21, 1991. With the Gulf Coast Pirates, an affiliate rookie level minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, he started five games in 1991, finishing with a 5–1 record and a 2.26 ERA. Loaiza moved through the Pirates farm system with stops at Augusta (class A – 1992), Salem (class A – 1993) and Carolina (class AA – 1993-1994). He also played for the Mexico City Red Devils of the Mexican Summer League during the 1993 season. He also played with the Mexicali Aguilas of the Liga Mexicana Del Pacifico.
Major League Career
Loaiza moved to a big league club in 1995, making his major league debut on April 29, 1995 for the Pirates against the Philadelphia Phillies. He finished his rookie season with an 8–9 record and a 5.16 ERA in 31 starts. He began the 1996 season back in the minors with the Triple-A Calgary Cannons, but was recalled to the majors that June.
The Pirates then traded him to the Texas Rangers on July 17, 1998, for Todd Van Poppel and Warren Morris. Loaiza went on to play for the Toronto Blue Jays (2000-02).
Loaiza had his best career season in 2003 with the Chicago White Sox. That season, he led the AL in strikeouts with 207 and finished runner-up in wins with 21. He also earned his first career All-Star selection. In Cy Young Award voting, Loaiza came in second behind Roy Halladay. During his second season with the White Sox in 2004, he received another All-Star selection.
At the end of July in 2004, Loaiza was traded to the New York Yankees. During his only season with the team, he was unable to repeat the success he had with the White Sox. Due to his 8.46 ERA across six August starts, Loaiza was moved to the bullpen for the final month of the regular season. He made a return to the field in the ALCS to pitch two relief outings in the Yankees' loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Loaiza signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals as a free agent in early 2005. During his season with the team, he posted a 12-10 record with a 3.77 ERA across 34 starts.
After leaving the Nationals, Loaiza signed a three-year contract with the Oakland Athletics. He got off to an inauspicious start with the team, as he went 0-3 in April with an 8.35 ERA and finished the month by giving up six runs in just over an inning in a game against the Kansas City Royals. This was partly due to injury, and in early May Loaiza was placed on the disabled list. He returned in June in improved form, and that month pitched his first complete game in more than two years in a 10-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. Loaiza found himself back on the disabled list at the start of the 2007 season. Although he was moved back to the active roster in August, he left the team a week later.
From the Athletics, the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed Loaiza off waivers and bought the remainder of his contract. He had an impressive debut for the team in early September when he played seven innings in a 11-3 win over the Chicago Cubs, but floundered for the rest of the season due to injuries. Despite having recovered for the 2008 season, Loaiza continued to perform poorly and was released by the Dodgers in May.
Loaiza returned to the White Sox in June of 2008 on a one-year contract. However, following three relief appearances and six weeks on the disabled list, he was released in late July. Loaiza subsequently retired from MLB playing. He finished his career with a 126-114 record, 1,382 strikeouts, and a 4.65 ERA.
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Legal Problems
Loaiza has had some substantial run-ins with the law.
In June of 2006 he was pulled over by police who clocked his Ferrari going 120 mph on a California freeway near San Lorenzo. He then failed a sobriety test and appeared in court on July 14, 2006. After the incident, Athletics' GM Billy Beane banned alcohol in both the home and visitor clubhouse, citing liability issues.
In February 2018, Esteban was arrested in Southern California on suspicions of drug trafficking. He was found carrying nearly 50 pounds of cocaine and heroin that were reportedly packed for transportation and sale. In March 2019 Esteban was sentenced to three years in Federal prison. Loaiza was released in August of 2021 and deported to Mexico.
Personal Life
Loaiza married singer Jenni Rivera in 2010. He made a number of appearances on her family's reality television series "I Love Jenni." The couple filed for divorce in 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce papers were filed on Monday, October 1, 2012. Rivera died three months later, on December 9, 2012, when her private plane crashed just before the divorce was finalized.
