Yankees Rumors: Brett Phillips Lands Contract as Pitcher; Former MLB Outfielder
July 30, 2024
The New York Yankees have been seeking ways to improve their pitching ahead of Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline, and they reportedly found an unconventional option.
According to baseball reporter Francys Romero, former MLB outfielder Brett Phillips was signed by the Yankees as a pitcher on Tuesday and will be assigned to the minor leagues. He pitched in the NBC World Series on Monday and threw as fast as 97 mph.
Phillips made his MLB debut in 2017 and spent time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels. The highlight of his career was a walk-off single for the Rays in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Rays still fell short of the World Series title.
In 394 career games, Phillips was a .186/.271/.343 hitter with 31 home runs and 99 RBI. He pitched 5.1 innings in relief and had a 15.19 ERA, but that was mostly because he threw 50 mph lobs to the plate.
Phillips said after his appearance at the NBC World Series that he's taking his transition to pitching very seriously.
"This wasn't something where I got ready in a week for this," he told Taylor Elridge 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."
The Yankees improved to 63-45 after Monday's 14-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The team has reportedly been pursuing Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty and multiple relief options leading up to the deadline.
Perhaps Phillips will be able to work his way up to the majors and make a difference for New York as it tries to contend for a spot in the World Series this year.
