The 18th overall selection in the 2006 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies will now look to continue his baseball career in the Atlantic League.
After an unsuccessful attempt to revive his career in San Francisco as a shortstop, former Phillies pitching prospect Kyle Drabek will try one more time to make his return to the major leagues.
From playing in the 2009 MLB Futures game, to repeatedly hitting the waiver wire, Drabek’s MLB journey has been quite the roller coaster. Drabek may be best known to Phils fans as the centerpiece in the Roy Halladay deal with Toronto.
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Philadelphia knew Drabek had the potential to be elite, but his hefty injury history, as well as the pressure to win now compelled the Phillies to make the move for the potential future hall-of-famer.
After being sent to play above the border, Drabek made his major-league debut on Sep. 15, 2010. Drabek turned in a stellar outing by allowing only one hit over seven innings.
As reported in multiple scouting reports, injuries played a huge role in Drabek’s major league career. On June 18th, 2012, the Toronto Blue Jays announced Drabek would need to undergo his second career Tommy John surgery.
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Upon his return to the Blue Jays in 2014, Drabek was never able to regain form. He was placed on waivers and claimed by the Chicago White Sox, but was unable to pitch effectively.
After failing to make the Arizona Diamondbacks after signing a minor-league deal, Drabek signed with the San Francisco Giants on a minor-league deal with the intention of playing shortstop. After just seven games, Drabek decided that his path back to the majors would have to be through the mound and he is hoping to do just that with the Skeeters.
Sugar Land is no stranger to major league talent. Former Cy Young winner Roger Clemens played for the Skeeters in 2012. Scott Kazmir, who now plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, also resurrected his career in Sugar Land after a tumultuous downfall following being traded away from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Next: Could Freddy Galvis Be Traded to the Yankees?
In more recent history, former NBA all-star Tracy McGrady took the mound for the Skeeters in 2014 in an attempt to begin a Major League baseball career. He, like many others, were not able to find success.