The Marlins have signed right-hander Brett Eibner to a new minor league deal, SportGrid’s Craig Mish reports (Twitter link). The outfielder-turned-pitcher is back for his second season in Miami’s organization, and Mish notes that Eibner has been assigned to the club’s alternate training site.
Eibner appeared in 87 total games as an outfielder with Royals, A’s, and Dodgers during the 2016-17 seasons, but he took his career in a new direction by becoming a relief pitcher while playing in the Rangers’ farm system in 2018. He saw two-way action in the independent leagues in 2019 and 2020 before the Marlins purchased his contract last August, as part of Miami’s effort to fill out a roster ravaged by a COVID-19 outbreak.
Eibner did make his return to the majors, tossing 3 1/3 innings over three games (with a 13.50 ERA) for the Marlins. The team did end up twice designating Eibner for assignment and then outrighting him off the 40-man roster, but clearly the Fish saw enough in the 32-year-old to bring him back and give him a longer look on a minor league mound.
He better suited to be a model for Kohl’s department store than a baseball player.
He hits like a pitcher, so might as well go full on hurler..good for him keeping the dream alive….. the n.l.’s version of ohtani
Wow, that’s simultaneously huge praise for Brett Eibner and a massive slight at Ohtani.
Only meant that as pitcher/hitter,..not a talent evaluation..
Played against him in college when he was at Arkansas. Was scary good haha