The Miami Marlins announced Tuesday that they signed Billy Hamilton to a minor-league contract, and the former Cincinnati Reds outfielder will report to the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Hamilton, a 2009 second-round pick of the Reds, played for Cincinnati from 2013 to 2018, when the Reds granted him free agency.
In March, the Seattle Mariners announced that they signed Hamilton to a minor-league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Earlier this month, Hamilton opted out of his deal with the Mariners.
Hamilton hit .220 with nine stolen bases (in nine attempts) in 71 games with the Chicago White Sox during the 2021 season. He had joined the White Sox in March on a minor-league deal with an invitation to big-league camp.
Last July, Hamilton made a spectacular diving catch for the White Sox on the muddy warning track in the ninth inning to rob Twins outfielder Max Kepler of extra bases during Chicago's 4-1 win in Minnesota.
Hamilton got a warm reception at Great American Ball Park in May 2021 after entering the game as a defensive replacement against his former team and later making a plate appearance.
Hamilton, who hit .245 with 277 stolen bases in 690 games over six seasons for the Reds, thanked the organization and fans in Dec. 2018.
Hamilton is a five-time Gold Glove finalist, but he has lost each time. He finished second to the Mets' Jacob deGrom in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2014.
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