Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors hears that former Athletics, Twins, Red Sox and Blue Jays outfielder Bobby Kielty is converting to pitching and that he actually has a pretty good slider.
There aren’t a ton of recent examples of position players with any kind of mileage on them converting into pitchers. Tony Pena is trying to do that with the Royals right now. Ron Mahay did it. I remember Mark Lemke trying to come back as a knuckleballer for a spell, but that didn’t work out. It’s a tough trick to be sure.
You have to wish Kielty good luck because it’s always cool to see unusual stuff go down. The only possible reservation I have is that if he does make the bigs as a reliever his last major league moment will no longer be hitting a pinch-hit, game-winning home run in the 2007 World Series, which is a pretty spiffy way to go out.
