Yankees extremely impressed by converted pitcher Brett Phillips Certainly intri

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The Yankees added some bullpen arms at the trade deadline which they hope will pay off down the stretch this season and into the playoffs.  There was a minor league deal, though, that was also intriguing  but for further down the road.  After seeing former MLB outfielder Brett Phillips hit 97 mph with his fastball and show some touch with his breaking pitches while pitching for a semipro team at the National Baseball Congre s World Series in Wichita, Kan., .  We keep eyes on everything, from big free agents to trade deadline guys, Yankees pro scouting  A.j. Hinch Jersey director Matt Daley said.  The Yankees were made aware of the game by Phillips agent, Tom OConnell, and liked what they saw.  Explore More  Brett Phillips impre sed with his high-velocity fastball.  Pitching Ninja/X  By 12 oclock that night, I was getting me sages from a lot of our guys that they were extremely impre sed, Daley said.  There were a handful of other teams that showed interest, OConnell said, but the Yankees and a sistant GM Mike Fishman were aggre sive in making a deal.  Phillips played in parts of seven major league seasons, split among five teams.  He spent three years with the Rays.  Brett Phillips was a World Series hero for the Rays.  AP  He last played in the majors as an outfielder last year with the Angels and appeared in 17 games with the White Sox Triple-A affiliate this season before he was let go.  Even before I got released, I saw the writing on the wall, Phillips said by phone Saturday, shortly after throwing his first bullpen se sion at the Yankees training complex in Tampa, near where Phillips lives.  I wasnt gonna get another opportunity as a position player, Phillips said. I always knew my greatest a set was my arm, and if I wasnt good enough as an offensive player anymore, I wanted to take advantage of it.  Within days of his release by the White Sox, Phillips started working as a pitcher.  For the past three months, this is what Ive been doing, trying to get built up, Phillips said. Monday was the first time pitching in a game as a pitcher. I didnt expect this all to come together so quickly.  Though the Yankees decided to sign Phillips in large part because of what they saw on video from Wichita, their scouting of the right-hander began years ago, when he was still a position player.  Brett Phillips celebrates his game-winning hit in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series, back when he was an outfielder for the Rays.  AP  He had a very good arm grade as an outfielder, and we keep an eye on those guys in case they convert to pitching, Daley said.  And Phillips also made five appearances in mop-up duty as a pitcher, something Gerrit Cole recalls.  It was all eephus pitches, Cole said. Now Im like, What were you doing? Youve got 97 [mph] in there.  But as Daley noted, there was one non-eephus pitch in Phillips brief time on the mound in the big leagues, and he hit 94.  The velocity Phillips showed Monday stood out to Cole when he saw Phillips had signed with the Yankees.  For someone to throw 97, thats real, Cole said. What a good athlete. Im certainly intrigued, especially since we signed him. Its not like he doesnt have familiarity with the game. He was a pretty good player. Hes not some guy throwing 97 out of nowhere. He had a nice career as an outfielder. I didnt realize his arm was that good.  Daley agreed that Phillips background should help.  He played in the majors a while and has been on a major league mound so he knows what thats about, said Daley, who spent parts of five seasons in the majors as a reliever, including the final two with the Yankees in 2013-14. He has all the tools. Hes all in on it.  As Phillips said Saturday: This is no joke. Im here to build up and hopefully help the Yankees win games. They know I have experience and can handle the atmosphere of playing on a big stage.  Brett Phillips had one last go-round with the White Sox this spring before being released and transferring to the mound.  Getty Images  Daley pointed to a pair of high-leverage relievers  Bostons Kenley Jansen and Kansas Citys Lucas Erceg, who was just traded from Oakland  as examples of position players who transitioned to pitchers, though neither of them did so after playing at the major league level.  Daley said the Yankees havent determined where Phillips will start off as a pitcher, but Low-A Tampa is a po sibility.  Im looking forward to going through the grind again, Phillips said. If I show I can help them, well see what happens.  And Daley insisted the signing was done because the Yankees believe Phillips has a real future as a pitcher.  His fastball jumped on hitters, and he had a good feel on his breaking balls, Daley said. And the velocity and athleticism are already there. We think if we can get him the right coaching, this could be something.  If all goes well, a return to the majors could be on the horizon.  I love to compete and I love baseball, Phillips said. Any way I can help, Ill do it. I can still play the outfield and I can still run. If Im there, Ill do whatever they want.  Kyle Isbel Jersey