Minnesota Twins Valentín was drafted on June 3, , by the
Minnesota Twins in the third round (93rd overall) of the
1993 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut on September 13, 1997, and ended up playing three seasons for the Twins.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays On November 15, 2002, the Twins traded Valentín and
Matt Kinney to the
Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for
minor league prospects Gerry Oakes and Matt Yeatman. On March 24, 2003, the Brewers sent Valentín to the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for
Jason Conti. He made 49 appearances for the Devil Rays during the season, batting .222/.254/.356 with three home runs and 15 RBI.
Cincinnati Reds Valentín signed with the
Cincinnati Reds on January 8, 2004. He made 82 appearances for Cincinnati on the year, slashing .233/.293/.381 with six home runs and 20 RBI. Valentín played in 76 contests for the Reds during the 2005 season, slashing .281/.362/.520 with career-highs in home runs (14) and RBI (50). Valentín played in 92 games for Cincinnati in 2006, hitting .269/.313/.441 with eight home runs and 27 RBI. He made another 97 appearances for the team during the 2007 campaign, batting .276/.328/.387 with two home runs and 34 RBI. On October 31, 2007, the Reds exercised Valentín's $1.35 million option, preventing him from reaching free agency. Valentín made 94 appearances for Cincinnati during the 2008 season, slashing .256/.326/.411 with four home runs and 18 RBI. During his five-year stint with the Reds, Valentín operated mainly as a back-up catcher and a specialized
pinch hitter.
New York Mets On February 3, , Valentín signed a minor league contract with the
Washington Nationals to battle with
Wil Nieves to be Washington's backup catcher. However, on March 28, he was reassigned to minor league camp, declined his assignment, and opted to become a free agent. On May 14, 2009, Valentín signed a minor league contract with the
New York Mets. In 23 appearances for the Triple-A
Buffalo Bisons, he batted .260/.360/.416 with three home runs and 10 RBI. Valentín was released by the Mets organization on June 22. ==Coaching career==