The New York Yankees inked veteran outfielder Brett Phillips to a Minor League pact on Tuesday, but he won’t be playing the outfield anymore. Phillips, who spent seven seasons at the Major League level, is now trying his hand on the mound After he was released from a Minors contract with the Chicago White Sox earlier this year, the veteran bat converted to pitching, where he’s been building up as a reliever. On Monday, he appeared in a semi-pro game where he struck out the side on 15 pitches and saw his fastball reach 97 MPH.
On Tuesday, New York jumped at him.
The 30-year-old right-hander played 40 games at the Major League level with the Los Angeles Angels last year. He’s also played for the Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles during his career.
Phillips is a lifetime .187 hitter with 31 home runs and 39 stolen bases in 393 career games. He made five appearances on the mound as a position player, though he didn’t see much success — surrendering 12 hits and nine runs in 5.1 innings.
The zestful Phillips is known in baseball circles for his strong glove and infectious personality, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that he had been taking pitching seriously since he was release by Chicago back in May.
“This wasn’t something where I got ready in a week for this,” Phillips told Taylor Eldridge of the Wichita Eagle. “I’ve put in a lot of good work. This has been a thought-out process and something I really want to pursue and I feel like I can still make a difference at the big-league level.”
Now, he joins a Yankees organization that has become renowned for getting the most out of its relievers. It’s unclear which level of affiliated ball Phillips will join first, but he could be fast-tracked back to the Majors with his heavy heater.
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