Rafael Palmeiro Seriously Considering Comeback

At first glance, this seems like a crazy idea. Former Major League first baseman Rafael Palmeiro is 53-years old, hasn’t played in the majors since 2005, and hasn’t played a game of professional baseball since 2015. However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that a potential comeback is a legitimate possibility.

This is interesting for a couple of reasons: Palmeiro is 53. If reaches the Majors, he’d be the fifth-oldest position player to appear in the MLB. Those ahead of him are Charles O’Leary (58), Nick Altrock (57), Minnie Minoso (56), and Jim O’Rourke (54). Satchel Paige is the oldest player to appear in the Majors at any position, as he appeared in games at 59-years old. For what it’s worth, the two oldest players to appear in the Majors since 2000 were Julio Franco (2007) and Jamie Moyer (2012), both being 49.

As aforementioned, Palmeiro hasn’t played in the Majors since 2005, when he hit .266 with 18 homers and 60 RBI in 110 games played. The last professional baseball game he has played was in 2015 with the Sugar Land Skeeters, an Independent League team. He went 2-for-5 with a run batted in.

Palmeiro may find little interest from Major League teams if he’s looking for a Major League contract. He may be able to draw some interest from rebuilding teams, such as the Detroit Tigers or Chicago White Sox, who are looking to fill seats through the down years. However, the prospects of this actually happening are very low.

This will be a very interesting story to follow in the coming months, and be sure to check out our site often for new developments on this unique situation involving Palmeiro.
Photo Credit: USA Today

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