As it turns out, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray wasn’t the only prospect from the 2019 NFL draft with an option to play baseball. Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown might also flirt with the two-sport dream.
Brown was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB draft out of high school. And despite signing a contract with the Padres, he opted to play football at Ole Miss (he was ineligible to play collegiate baseball after signing that contract). But emerging as one of the top receivers in the NFL evidently hasn’t stopped Brown from thinking about a career in pro baseball.
A couple weeks ago, Brown commented on a tweet about Bo Jackson’s All-Star and Pro Bowl 1989 seasons, asking for the Padres to give him a workout.
Sometimes i think about playing both sports again 🤔@Padres all I need is a workout. I still got 😎 https://t.co/1PRo7ffAWm
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) January 26, 2022
Of course, MLB is currently in a lockout, but the transaction freeze only applies to MLBPA members. Brown, whose baseball rights are still controlled by the Padres, would be eligible for a minor-league contract. So, the Padres are allowed to entertain Brown’s wish here — I mean, what else are they doing?
On Tuesday, Brown showed that he still has some power in his swing by sharing a video from the batting cages.
Raw power 💥 Special ATHLETE @Padres pic.twitter.com/22nBLR9eCH
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) February 8, 2022
This was just batting-practice pitching, but Brown does have some quick hands and obvious power at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds.
In all likelihood, Brown’s baseball pursuit isn’t going to progress beyond those tweets. But hey, if he is interested, the Padres would probably be able to work out a similar arrangement to what Russell Wilson had with the Yankees and Rangers. He could show up to spring training camp in Arizona as a non-roster invitee, take some batting practice, wear the uniform and hang with the team.
According to MLB.com, Brown hadn’t formally reached out to the Padres as of last week. But they’re likely open to the idea.
