8 Former MLB Stars Currently Playing For Independent Baseball Clubs
There are thousands of ballplayers in the minors trying to make their way to the show or back to the show. Some will never get there while others, thanks to a hot streak or fortuitous timing, will get the chance to play in a big league park with a big league uniform on their shoulders. Then there are the guys playing independent league baseball, and they have a more difficult road because there’s no direct line or affiliation to MLB clubs. Still, though, it does happen.
Rich Hill, for instance, played for the Long Island Ducks in 2015 after several years in the majors, but it wasn’t until after his independent stint that he really flourished. Now, he’s making almost $20 million per year as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then there are guys like Stephen Cardullo and David Peralta who played indy ball for years without any MLB experience and worked their way up to the bigs.
Ironically, Cardullo is back playing indy ball and that’s because, like small concert venues, indy ball is mostly a place you hit on your way up…and then on your way back down as you age. And that’s what we’re going to look at here, the former MLB players playing in independent baseball leagues this year. There are plenty of them, and plenty you’ve heard of.
Former MLB Stars Currently Playing Indy Ball
Mat Latos, Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
Latos is a name you definitely recognize. He played for seven MLB teams between 2009–17 and made over $25 million doing it. Last season, he made his first appearance on the indy ball scene, appearing in 29 games (3.18 ERA) for the Can-Am League’s New Jersey Jackals.
MLB Highlight: In 2010, Latos finished eighth in NL Cy Young voting after posting a 2.92 ERA in 31 starts (14–10 W-L).
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Long Island Ducks
Though he never made big-time money, Kirk is remembered fondly in Queens for his time with the Mets, which included an all-time great t-shirt from The 7 Line. In total, he wound up playing 414 games across six MLB seasons (2012–17) with the Mets, Angels, and Brewers.
MLB Highlight: Kirk was part of the 2015 New York Mets team that went to the World Series. He was on the postseason roster, as well as the World Series roster, though he went 0-for-4 overall. His best moment of the season came on July 12th when he smacked three home runs in a win over Arizona.
Steve Lombardozzi, Long Island Ducks
DMV folks know Lombardozzi well; he played the bulk of his MLB career with the Nats and also had an impressive stint down I-95 with the O’s (.288 BA in 74 ABs). He last played in the MLB in 2017 with Miami and spent 2018 with Oakland’s Triple-A club.
MLB Highlight: Lombardozzi was a key part of the memorable NL East-winning Nats club in 2012. In 126 games, he hit .273 at the plate and played four different positions on defense (2B, 3B, SS, LF).
Matt Den Dekker, Long Island Ducks
Unlike the three players listed above, den Dekker was in the MLB last season with the Mets. Unfortunately, he went 0-for-18 in eight games, which is potentially the reason why he’s with the Ducks this year. Nevertheless, den Dekker played parts of six seasons with the Mets, Nats, and Tigers, and proved to be an above-average outfielder. Between 2014–16, he had a 1.8 WAR, per Baseball Reference, and that’s not a result of what he did in the batter’s box.
MLB Highlight: In 2015, den Dekker played 55 games for the Nats. In that short stint, he hit more home runs (5)
Alejandro De Aza, New Britain Bees
De Aza had plenty of solid years in the big leagues and was once a full-time starter for the Chicago White Sox. And, like Lombardozzi, folks from the DMV area will recognize his name because he played for both the Orioles (2014–15) and Nationals (2017).
MLB Highlight: De Aza was acquired by the O’s in the summer of 2014 (via Chicago) to help their postseason chances. He delivered, hitting .293 in 20 games with a .877 OPS, and Baltimore won the AL East and eventually made the ALCS. It should be noted that De Aza also raked in the postseason, going 7-for-21 with three doubles in six combined games.
Chris Colabello, Sugar Land Skeeters
Like Cardullo, Chris Colabello spent a long time in indy ball before getting a crack at the big leagues. Colabello is the extreme, though, as he played seven years (2005–11) in indy ball before playing for an affiliated team. Finally, in 2013, he made his MLB debut with Minnesota and wound up playing 225 games across four seasons (’13–16) before a positive PED test derailed his career.
MLB Highlight: A year before he was suspended, Colabello enjoyed a great season with Toronto. In 101 games, he hit .321 with 15 home runs and a .886 OPS.
Jean Machi, Sugar Land Skeeters
As I said, Sugar Land has several former MLB stars and Jean Machi is one of them. Machi made 194 appearances over a six-year stretch (2012–17), including 163 with San Francisco, while maintaining a 3.38 ERA.
MLB Highlight: Not many guys in the Atlantic League have a World Series ring but Machi is one of the few. He was a huge part of the Giants’ 2014 World Series run, appearing in 71 regular season games (2.58 ERA) and seven postseason games (including three World Series games).
Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Dogs
Let me start by saying that Big Z is the first guy on our list that’s a former MLB All-Star (ahem…three-time MLB All-Star). And he’s also the first guy on our list that’s not in the Atlantic League, the gold standard of indy ball. Instead, Zambrano is playing in the American Association, a league that has some former MLB players but not nearly as many as the Atlantic League.
That said, Big Z’s return to baseball is awesome. He didn’t play any pro ball at all for three years (2015–17) and it’s been five years since he played in the states. And to top it off, he’s returned to play in the city that made him famous, Chicago.
MLB Highlight: Big Z has lots of highlights, including three Silver Slugger awards and the three aforementioned MLB All-Star appearances, but his no-hitter is something very few have on their resumes. Plus, the event was unique; Zambrano, then with the Cubs, no-hit Houston on September 14th, 2008 in a game played at…Miller Park?!? Yeah, Big Z threw a no-no at a ballpark that neither his team or their opponent called home. Crazy stuff. The game, it should be noted, was moved due to weather.
Note: Nieuwenhuis and den Dekker have since retired from professional baseball.
