"I felt like the game was passing me by" - Ex-Rays outfielder Brett Phillips spoke of his transition to becoming a pitcher
Even though Brett Phillips has not been selected to an All-Star team in his career, the former outfielder-turned-pitcher has been a fan favorite with every club he played for. The 30-year-old has enjoyed a seven-year career and while he may no longer be productive at the plate, that's not something concerning him anymore.
The former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder has decided to make a dramatic change in his MLB career by making the difficult transition to pitcher. Phillips felt he was no longer able to perform as a quality batter at the plate.
In the latest episode of Foul Territory, Phillips explained why he decided to make the switch. It was undoubtedly a difficult choice, but the former outfielder was brutally honest with where he was in his career.
"It just got to a point, it's my 13th year of professional baseball, I felt like the game was kind of passing me by a little bit when it came to the offensive side of things... I just wasn't producing. I felt that. I felt that in my soul that it might have been time to move forward," Phillips said candidly of his career to this point.
Even though Phillips came to the realization he may no longer be an effective hitter at the MLB level, he is healthy and still has the desire to compete. Following his release from the Chicago White Sox, Phillips knew that his player profile had limited options in the modern game, so he made a change.
"I ended up building up all through the summer, took about 3 months, and I went to one amateur tournament where you couldn't be signed with a professional team... I threw one inning, the ball was coming out clean, I knew where it was going, I had a good curveball. There were a few teams the next morning that were wanting to sign me," Phillips continued.
Phillips eventually began working with the New York Yankees in Tampa at the team's Spring Training facility. While he was able to work there, he was also able to keep building strength and is optimistic about a potential future as a pitcher.
Phillips has gained some pitching experience at the MLB level throughout his career
There is definitely a long road ahead of Phillips. However, before he made the transition into becoming a full-time pitcher, the former outfielder was able to log some innings on an MLB mound.
Phillips appeared in blowout losses for the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels, throwing a combined 5.1 innings in a mop up role. Over those innings, he posted a combined 15.19 ERA with no strikeouts, while also giving up three home runs.
While the results leave something to be desired, that experience can be invaluable as Phillips looks to one day return to the mound as an official pitcher.