David Gregory Huff (born August 22, 1984) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

who is a free agent. He previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

(MLB) for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...

, and

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

. Huff has also played for the

LG Twins LG Corporation (or LG Group) (), formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995 (Korean: ''Leokki Geumseong''; ), is a South Korean multinational conglomerate founded by Koo In-hwoi and managed by successive generations of his family. It is t ...

of the

KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...

and for the

Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB).

Early life

Huff attended Edison High School, the

University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, UCI offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and p ...

, Cypress College, and the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...

. In 2004 and 2005, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Chatham A's The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in t ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

Professional career

Huff was selected by the

in the first round, with the 39th overall selection, of the 2006 MLB draft.

Minor leagues

Since 2006, Huff has played minor league baseball with the

Mahoning Valley Scrappers The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Niles, Ohio, a city in the valley of the Mahoning River, and play their home games at Eastwood Field. From 1999 to 2020, they were ...

, Kinston Indians,

Akron Aeros The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 ...

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen F ...

, and

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy merchant sailing vessels known as cli ...

. In 11 games with the

in 2008, Huff had a career-best ERA of 1.92. He then pitched 80 innings for the Bisons in 2008 and put up a 3.01 ERA. He was named the Indians' 2008 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the "

Lou Boudreau Louis Boudreau (July 17, 1917 – August 10, 2001), nicknamed "Old Shufflefoot", "Handsome Lou", and "The Good Kid", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons, primarily as a ...

Award"). Huff pitched for the AAA Columbus Clippers in 2009 until his call-up on May 16. He had a 5–1 record with a 4.35 ERA with the Clippers.

Cleveland Indians

Huff made his MLB debut with a start against the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

on May 17, 2009. He allowed seven runs in only 3.2 innings to pick up the loss. He recorded his first MLB win on June 7 when he allowed three runs in five innings against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

. In 23 starts in 2009 he finished 11-8 with a 5.61 ERA. On May 29, 2010, Huff was hit in the head by a comeback

line drive In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

off the bat of

Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...

. Huff was carried off the field by a medical cart several minutes later. Huff did not sustain a concussion, and returned to his regular baseball activities within 48 hours of the incident. Huff split his time with the Indians and the minor league affiliates during his four-year tenure with the team. Huff was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Indians organization on May 24, 2013. Overall, Huff went 18–26 with a 5.40 ERA during his career with the Cleveland Indians.

New York Yankees

Huff was claimed off waivers by the Yankees on May 26, 2013 and made his Yankees debut the same day he was acquired, recording a strikeout, two walks, and allowing a run in one inning of relief pitched against the

. He was designated for assignment on May 28, 2013 after Joba Chamberlain was activated from the disabled list. Not wanting to join a third organization, and trusting Yankees' pitching coach

Larry Rothschild Lawrence Lee Rothschild (born March 12, 1954) is an American professional baseball pitcher, coach, and manager. Rothschild played for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1981 and 1982. He has coached for the Cincinnati Reds, At ...

, Huff accepted a minor league assignment to the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...

of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...

, after receiving instruction from Rothschild on how to improve his delivery. In Scranton, he continued his work with Gil Patterson. Huff was re-added to the Yankees' 25-man major league roster and recalled from the minors on August 15, 2013. On August 22, Huff got his first win as a Yankee after pitching five innings of one-hit relief against the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

. The Yankees primarily used Huff in the long relief role, but gave him a start in place of Phil Hughes on September 7. He was 3-1 with a 4.67 ERA in 11 appearances (2 starts).

San Francisco Giants

On January 24, 2014, the Yankees traded Huff to the

for cash considerations. He was designated for assignment on June 6 after posting a disappointing 6.30 ERA with 11 strikeouts and six walks in 20 innings.

New York Yankees (second stint)

On June 11, 2014, Huff was traded back to the Yankees for cash considerations. He was 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA in 30 games and became a free agent on December 2, 2014 after he was non-tendered by the Yankees.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The

signed him to a minor league contract in January 2015 and invited him to spring training. He was assigned to the AAA

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Dodgers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their home games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ba ...

. After one three inning appearance in the minors, the Dodgers purchased his contract and called him up to the Majors to start the April 14 game against the Mariners. He allowed four runs in four innings and was designated for assignment after the game. After returning to Oklahoma City, he was again recalled by the Dodgers on June 1. He was designated for assignment again on June 2 after appearing in relief in two games. He returned to the minors and appeared in 23 games for Oklahoma City, only four of which were starts. He was 5–2 with a 2.20 ERA. Huff was selected to be a member of the

United States national baseball team The United States national baseball team represents the United States in international-level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 5th in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Team USA won the Olympic baseball t ...

for the 2015 Pan-American Games.

Kansas City Royals

On January 9, 2016, Huff agreed to a minor league deal with the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. He would earn $1.1 million if he made the Major League roster. He opted out of his contract on May 15, making him a free agent.

Los Angeles Angels

On May 18, 2016, Huff signed a minor league deal with the

. The Angels promoted Huff to the MLB to start on June 7.

LG Twins

On July 8, 2016, Huff signed a deal with the

of the

Tokyo Yakult Swallows

On December 20, 2017, Huff signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the

(NPB). On December 2, 2019, he become free agent.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On January 20, 2020, Huff signed a minor league deal with the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

. Huff was released by the Diamondbacks organization on May 28, 2020.

Sugar Land Lightning Sloths

In July 2020, Huff signed on to play for the Sugar Land Lightning Sloths of the Constellation Energy League (a makeshift 4-team independent league created as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

) for the 2020 season.

Seattle Mariners

On May 13, 2021, Huff signed a minor league contract with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...

organization. Huff pitched to a 5.25 ERA in 14 appearances, 9 starts for the Triple-A

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...

before he was released on August 12, 2021.

Diablos Rojos del México

On April 8, 2022, Huff signed with the

Diablos Rojos del México The Diablos Rojos del Mexico (English: Mexico Red Devils) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Mexico City, Mexico. The team was founded in 1940 by Salvador Lutteroth and Ernesto Carmona. The Diablos Rojos play their hom ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. Huff made 21 appearances (11 starts) for México in 2022, recording a 6-1 record and 4.86 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 74.0 innings pitched.

Guerreros de Oaxaca

On December 29, 2022, Huff was loaned to the

Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...

of the

. Huff was released by Oaxaca on January 18, 2023, after the team signed

Eric Filia Eric Robert Filia (born July 6, 1992), formerly known as Eric Snyder, is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Guerreros de Oaxaca of the Mexican League. He played internationally for the United States national baseball team at the ...

.https://www.milb.com/mexican/news/lmb-movimientos-en-listas-de-reserva-18-de-enero-de-2023

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huff, David 1984 births Living people Akron Aeros players American expatriate baseball players in Japan American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in South Korea Baseball players at the 2015 Pan American Games Baseball players from San Diego Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Chatham Anglers players Cleveland Indians players Columbus Clippers players Cypress Chargers baseball players Diablos Rojos del México players Fresno Grizzlies players KBO League pitchers Kinston Indians players LG Twins players Los Angeles Angels players Los Angeles Dodgers players Mahoning Valley Scrappers players Major League Baseball pitchers New York Yankees players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Oklahoma City Dodgers players Omaha Storm Chasers players Pan American Games medalists in baseball Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States Salt Lake Bees players San Francisco Giants players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Tacoma Rainiers players Tokyo Yakult Swallows players UC Irvine Anteaters baseball players UCLA Bruins baseball players United States national baseball team players Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games