Where Are They Now? - Your Favorite Forgotten Players From 2016 - 2023

Do you ever wake up in the morning and think, “What is Cody Anderson up to at this moment?” No? How about, “Where in the world is Max Moroff?” Well if so, this is the perfect article for you. Here’s what your favorite obscure players from 2016-2023 are up to now.

2016 - Shawn Morimando

Starting with the (then) Cleveland Indians in 2011, Morimando was drafted by the club in the 19th round out of high school. He made his major league debut on July 2, 2016, and appeared in two games for the team. His final line for the Indians was an 11.57 ERA, five strikeouts, and a 3.00 WHIP across 4.2 innings.

Since his stint with Cleveland, Morimando has played in the Toronto Blue Jays’ system, made the majors again for the Miami Marlins, and moved overseas in 2021. He was signed by the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League on September 29 and was released in July of the following year. He then played for the SSG Landers of the Korean Baseball Organization for the rest of 2022. He is currently back with the CTBC Brothers and has a contract to play through 2024 after he heals from elbow surgery.

2017 - Daniel Robertson

Before playing for a wealth of major and minor league teams, Daniel Robertson was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 33rd round of the 2008 draft. On April 23, 2014, he was traded to the Texas Rangers and made his major league debut. Just seven months later, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels. After the 2015 season, he was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners who designated him for assignment just three weeks later.

He signed a Minor League deal with the Indians on November 23, 2016, and had his contract bought by the Major League club on May 14, 2017. He was DFA’d on August 10, re-signed five days later, and released 13 days after that. Since then, he has had multiple short stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association, and Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

In January of 2022, the Cleveland Guardians announced that he would be the bench coach of the High-A Lynchburg Hillcats for the season. Currently, he serves in the same role for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks.

2018 - Brandon Barnes

Taken in the sixth round of the 2005 draft by the Houston Astros, Barnes made his Major League debut eight years later on August 7, 2012. On July 19th of the following year, he became the eighth player in Astros history to hit for the cycle. On December 3rd, he was traded to the Colorado Rockies who DFA’d him in 2016. That December, he signed with the Miami Marlins and elected free agency a year later.

On November 30, 2017, the Indians signed Barnes to a minor league contract. His contract was purchased by the Major League club on September 4, 2018, and elected free agency at the end of the season. However, he re-signed with the club one month later. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins in August of 2019 and again became a free agent after the season. He has since played in the Cincinnati Reds organization and for the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization. Barnes retired on December 11, 2020 and is now a real estate agent and brand influencer.

2019 - Mike Freeman

Mike Freeman was drafted out of high school in 2006 by the San Diego Padres but did not sign. He was drafted again in 2009 by the Diamondbacks but again did not sign. A year later, the D-Backs drafted him again and he finally signed with them, making his Major League debut on July 17, 2016. He was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners on August 1, 2016, and has since played with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

On November 20, 2018, Freeman signed a Minor League contract with the Cleveland Indians and was selected on April 16, 2019. He elected free agency after the 2020 season but re-signed with the club prior to the next season. On March 12, 2021, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Following that season, he elected free agency. Freeman is currently the manager for the Seattle Mariners’ Double-A affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers.

2020 - Christian Arroyo

Selected in the first round of the 2013 draft by the San Francisco Giants, Christian Arroyo made his major league debut with the team on April 24, 2017. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays on December 20, 2017, and finished the season with their Triple-A team. He was traded to Cleveland alongside Hunter Wood on July 28, 2019. He appeared in a whopping one game for the team and did not have a single plate appearance. He was DFA’d on August 6th.

He was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox one week later and subsequently had an up-and-down career. Constantly on and off the injured and COVID-19 lists, Arroyo was DFA’d by the Sox on August 4, 2023. He played the remainder of the season with Triple-A Worcester Red Sox and is currently a free agent.

2021 - Justin Garza

Justin Garza was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 26th round of the 2012 draft but did not sign. The team drafted him again, this time in the eighth round, in the 2015 draft. He played at each level of the Indians’ Minor League system before making the Big Leagues on June 27, 2021. Following the 2021 season, he was DFA’d and outrighted to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. He elected free agency following the 2022 season.

In December of the same year, he signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He played six games for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees before being DFA’d on April 21, 2023. He was claimed by the Boston Red Sox on April 28th where he split his time between the Majors and Triple-A Worcester. He elected free agency on November 6 and as of yet has not signed with another club.

2022 - Tanner Tully

Tanner Tully was drafted in the 26th round of the 2016 draft by Cleveland. Between that year and the next, he played for every team in Cleveland’s farm system. He made his Major League debut on April 22, 2022, after being named a COVID-19 replacement player. After being brought up a second time on June 25th, he was DFA’d two days later. He was outrighted to the Minor Leagues two days after that and once again selected by the Guardians on July 14th.

Just four days later, Tully was yet again DFA’d by Cleveland. He was outrighted again, but seemingly did not want to repeat this cycle a third time and elected free agency on October 13, 2022. Following that season, he signed a Minor League deal with the New York Yankees, playing 19 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was released by the organization on August 3, 2023, and signed with the NC Dinos of the KBO a day later. He is currently a free agent once more.

2023 - Meibrys Viloria

Meibrys Viloria was signed by the Kansas City Royals in July 2013 as an international free agent. He made his Major League debut on September 2, 2018, and subsequently split his time between Kansas City and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. On April 1, 2021, the Royals DFA’d him and outrighted him to Northwest Arkansas. He played the 2022 season in the Texas Rangers’ system after signing a Minor League contract with the team. He was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants on November 10, 2022, and DFA’d five days later.

Viloria signed a one-year deal with the Guardians’ Minor League system on December 4, 2022. He was added to the Opening Day roster on March 30, 2023, and played 10 games with the team, going 0-3 with a walk. He was DFA’d on May 1st and signed a Minor League contract with the Los Angeles Angels before being released by them on June 2nd. He signed another Minor League contract, this time with the Baltimore Orioles, on June 26th and split five games between the Florida Complex League and the Triple-A Norfolk Tides before being released on September 23rd. He is currently a free agent.

Thousands of players will come and go for a team throughout its existence, but some seem to be quickly forgotten. While the superstar players who (attempt to) help your team win a World Series get all the attention, the little guys deserve some love too.