Cleveland Indians Hire Grady Sizemore as a Front-Office Advisor

By Andrew Schmid | Feb 15, 2017

Apr 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; A view of an official Cleveland Indians batting practice hat in the grass before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Former All-Star Grady Sizemore will join the Cleveland Indians as a front-office advisor.

Grady Sizemore will return to the Cleveland Indians in an advisory role, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The former outfielder will serve as an advisor to their player development staff.

Bastian reports that Sizemore contacted the Cleveland Indians over the off-season to see how he could help out the team this year. For now, he will be a guest instructor at the team’s spring training camp. Sizemore’s first work will come with the outfielders before moving to the Minor League camp. During the regular season, his role will transition into the baseball operations department.

Sizemore, now 34 years old, began his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians way back in 2002. He was a part of the blockbuster trade that sent Bartolo Colon to the Montreal Expos in exchange for Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee, and himself. The outfielder first worked his way through the minor leagues before debuting in 2004.

More from Cleveland Guardians

Upon entering the majors with the Cleveland Indians, he became an immediate impact player. From 2004 through 2008, he was one of the best players in all of baseball, amassing an elite 28.3 wins in 683 games. In the four years from 2005 to 2008, he earned three All-Star nominations, two Gold Gloves, and one Silver Slugger. Sizemore also displayed exceptional durability, playing in all 162 games in booth 2006 and 2007.

Unfortunately, his career began to slide in 2009. His elite combination of power, speed, and defense worsened, and injuries limited his time on the field. Still, he was an above-average player for 106 games, which carried plenty of value with the Cleveland Indians.

Beyond then, however, he failed to become an impact player once again. Constant health issues limited him to just 100 games over the next two seasons, and he became a free agent at the age of 31. He spent 2014 and 2015 with the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and Tampa Bay Rays, but nothing seemed to click.

In the second half of 2016, his play with the Rays improved enough for him to be nearly as valuable as a replacement player. Still, he was an aging former superstar, and the Rays went other ways with their outfield options.

Interestingly enough, Grady Sizemore did not play at all in the 2016 season, and Jordan Bastian did not mention anything about retirement. While he would stand no chance at entering the Hall of Fame, players usually retire as a formality. Perhaps Sizemore wants to keep the option of returning open for the future.

Next: MLB's Non-Negotiable Ritual

Nevertheless, Grady Sizemore brought smiles to the faces of the Cleveland Indians’ fans for five fantastic years nearly a decade ago. Although injuries marred a potentially incredible career, he undoubtedly has plenty of wisdom to share with the Tribe’s younger players.

Home/Cleveland Guardians