TAMPA — The bro is back.
Kind of.
Nick Swisher, who helped the Yankees to a 2009 World Series, will join the club at spring training, will wear No. 33 and … won’t be competing for a roster spot. Instead, he’ll join Alex Rodriguez and a slew of others as a guest instructor.
Swisher, who hasn’t officially retired, spent time working with Yankees prospects as an instructional league coach last fall.
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The 36-year-old hasn’t played in the majors since 2015 but hasn’t called it quits.
He hoped he’d return to the Bronx last season when he took a minor-league deal and joined Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It didn’t go as he hoped. Swisher started out hot, but hit .255 with seven homers and 25 RBI while playing mostly first base in 55 games before leaving the team to be with his family.
The Braves cut him at the end of spring training last year, eating the $16 million they owed him for the season.
He admitted that playing in the minors was difficult after a long major-league career and that he was disappointed the Yankees passed up opportunities to call him up.
Swisher lives in Tampa.
Swisher will be joined with the following Yankees luminaries as guest instructors: Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry, Reggie Jackson, Hideki Matsui, Lee Mazzilli, Stump Merrill, Willie Randolph and Alex Rodriguez.
Swisher hit .288 with 29 homers and 89 RBI in 150 in 2009, his first year with the Yankees. He hit .268 with 105 bombs through his full four years in pinstripes.
He left in 2013 for a four-year, $56-million deal from the Indians.
Yankees’ Gary Sanchez works on hitting, catching Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.
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