A former Philadelphia Phillies second-round draft pick is making a return to the diamond, taking on a coaching role with a division rival.
Roman Quinn was recently announced as a coach for the Florida Complex League Braves, per Phillies Tailgate on X, the Rookie-level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He joins former catcher Ryan Casteel as the newcomers on longtime manager Maikol Gonzalez’s staff. While this is Quinn's first professional coaching job, it is not his first rodeo, as he recently coached his daughter's softball team to a state title.
Former Phillies outfielder Roman Quinn a surprising addition to the Braves' minor league coaching staff
The move comes as a surprise for some, given the fact that Quinn did not play for the Braves during his career. Quinn, 31, was selected by the Phillies with the 66th overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft out of Port St. Joe High School. He quickly rose through the ranks, being named the second-best prospect in the organization by 2013. He made his MLB debut in 2016 as a September call-up and made an instant impact, collecting six RBI and five stolen bases in 15 games.
Quinn spent parts of six seasons with the Phillies at the major league level, and although his tenure was plagued by injuries, he provided the team flexibility and depth as an outfielder and pinch runner with speed to track down fly balls and steal bases in clutch situations. He split reps in center field for several years during the team's rebuild with the likes of Odubel Herrera, Adam Haseley, and Scott Kingery.
In 201 games in Philadelphia, Quinn hit eight home runs to go along with 41 RBI and 43 stolen bases in 54 attempts.
He was with the Phillies until 2022 when he was designated for assignment and elected free agency. Following his Phillies tenure, he had one more stint in the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022, where he slashed .262/.340/.405 with no home runs and four RBI in a total of 21 games. From there, he bounced around the minor leagues with the Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. Following his release from the Rockies, he officially retired in 2023 at the age of 30.
Now two years later, Quinn is once again involved in professional baseball and will look to make an impact and gain valuable experience as a coach with the Braves organization.