What do Rick Ankiel, Anthony Gose, and, now, Tyler Naquin have in common? On top of all having ties to the Mets organization, they’re also all former outfielders who have converted into pitchers.
On Thursday, ESPN reported that Naquin reached a minor league agreement with the Cleveland Guardians as a pitcher. The 33-year-old had previously played eight seasons across four organizations, including the Mets in 2022.
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New York acquired Naquin from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline that season as well as left-hander Phillip Diehl in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers. He appeared in 49 games with the Mets that season and batted .203 with a .636 OPS, including four home runs and 13 RBIs.
Diehl was selected by the New York Yankees in the 27th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He spent time in the minors and major league then was traded to the Colorado Rockies in 2019. He was designated for assignment in 2021 and claimed off waivers by the Reds, with whom he made five major league appearances. He cleared waivers and was outrighted before being traded to the Mets.
Naquin tested free agency at the end of the 2022 season, signing a minor league contract with the Brewers. He never made it to the big leagues with Milwaukee, logging 40 games with Triple-A Nashville and batting .284 with a .766 OPS before being released in August 2023.
The Chicago White Sox purchased his contract, allowing him to play five big league games where he went 0-for-8 before being released again.
Naquin didn’t play last season. Now, he’s hoping to make a comeback as a pitcher.
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Manny Gómez may be reached at [email protected].