Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

MLB Team Signs Former Outfielder as a Pitcher

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Mar 6, 2025 4:36 PM ET

The Cleveland Guardians won the American League Central a year ago and made a run all the way to the ALCS.

Unfortunately, the New York Yankees defeated the Guardians in five games en route to a World Series.

Still, there are high hopes once again for the Guardians. In the offseason, they have added first baseman Carlos Santana, and left-handed pitcher John Means while bringing back Shane Bieber on a one-year contract.

On Thursday, in the middle of spring training, the Guardians made another move. They agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Tyler Naquin.

Naquin, 33, spent the first five seasons of his MLB career with Cleveland before spending time with the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Chicago White Sox.

However, Naquin signed a deal as a pitcher, per GuardsInsider, the official Player Development account of the Guardians.

"Here is a fun one: We've signed RHP Tyler Naquin to a Minor League contract. He has reported to the club's Goodyear facility, converting to a right-handed pitcher," GuardsInsider wrote.

Here is a fun one: We've signed RHP Tyler Naquin to a Minor League contract. He has reported to the club's Goodyear facility, converting to a right-handed pitcher. pic.twitter.com/LwGzHLf147
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) March 6, 2025

Zack Meisel of The Athletic pointed out Naquin's arm strength during his last few seasons in the MLB.

"Naquin, 33, was an outfielder for CLE from 2016-20 and last appeared in the majors in 2023. His last three seasons with sufficient data, he ranked in the 99th, 98th and 94th percentiles in arm strength," Meisel wrote on X.

Naquin appeared in just five games with the White Sox in 2023 and has 61 home runs with 237 RBIs in his career.

Now, he is trying to make a major league return as a pitcher in a surprising turn of events.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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