Former Angels Outfielder Lands In Independent Ball — As a Pitcher

Apr 22, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Brett Phillips (8) places a samurai warrior hat on right fielder Hunter Renfroe (12) as Renfroe reaches the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning at Angel Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Brett Phillips carved out a seven-year major league career with the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Angels despite a paltry .619 OPS (71 OPS+).

Known as a dynamic defender and strong clubhouse presence, Phillips signed a free agent contract with the Angels in January 2023. He spent one season in the organization despite being designated for assignment only four months after signing.

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Along the way, Phillips hit .175 (11 for 63) with three home runs, six RBIs, and three stolen bases in 40 games with the Angels. He finished the season at Triple-A Salt Lake after accepting an outright assignment, and slashed .230/.352/.366 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Phillips resurfaced with the White Sox in spring training in 2024, but did not appear in a major league game. He appeared in 17 games at the Triple-A level before he was released in May.

Brett Phillips, the pitcher 😳 pic.twitter.com/avJn5npK5J

— Pick6 (@Pick6) August 16, 2024

In an unexpected twist, Phillips tried his hand at pitching when he signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees last July. That experiment didn't last long. He appeared in one game with the Yankees' Single-A affiliate, and didn't record an out while allowing five runs.

Phillips' experience as a pitcher in MLB was limited to mop-up duty in lopsided games — one for the Rays in 2021, three for the Rays in 2022, and one for the Angels in 2023. His career 15.19 ERA in the five games is a bit of a mirage.

April 30 Transaction: @crrbaseball signed RHP Brett Phillips (@brett_phillips8).

Phillips joins Cleburne after spending 7 seasons in the majors with the #Brewers, #Royals, #Rays, #Orioles and #Angels. pic.twitter.com/npQeIlEtxk

— American Association (@AA_Baseball) May 1, 2025

Despite his subpar results so far, Phillips is still committed to making it back to the big leagues as a pitcher of the more serious variety.

The American Association announced Thursday on its Twitter/X account that the Cleburne Railroaders have signed Phillips as a pitcher.

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The Railroaders, based in Cleburne, Texas, begin their regular season in a week. The AA is one of a handful of independent minor leagues that ex-major leaguers sometimes use as a route back to affiliated baseball. Another former Angels outfielder, Dillon Thomas, played in the AA last year.

The Railroaders are managed by former big league slugger Pete Incaviglia. Last season they went 60-40, the best regular-season record in the AA.

Phillips, 30, already faced a long road back to the major leagues as a pitcher, so his latest career move hardly counts as a surprise. Perhaps the most surprising aspect to his new job is that Phillips is still trying to make it work as a pitcher despite his poor showing at Single-A last year.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.