You might think a major leaguer wouldn’t need a side hustle. But Tampa Bay Rays infielder Nick Franklin fights boredom during the offseason by shuttling people around Orlando, Fla., as a driver for Uber.
Franklin, who earned about $507,500 in 2016 — just above the league minimum — certainly doesn’t need the extra cash (he’s made about $3 million since breaking into the majors in 2013).
Franklin said he started driving after the 2015 season out of boredom. “I wanted to do something on the weekends because I never really do anything,’’ he told the Tampa Bay Times in October. “I ended up meeting some pretty cool people along the way.’’
Franklin reportedly told Times reporter Marc Topkin on Wednesday that he drove 9 or 10 times for Uber this past offseason, maintaining a pretty decent 4.8 rating.
Franklin isn’t the only ballplayer out there picking up fares. Now-retired Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz drove undercover for Lyft last fall, as did Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant. Those, however, were marketing stunts.
This article originally appeared on Marketwatch.
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