Regarding position player/pitcher switchers, check out this article in the NY Times yesterday about Sergio Santos of the White Sox, who has made the team as a pitcher just one year after converting from shortstop! Unfortunately, he's in the AL so he won't get to hit much.

He had to have played other positions in high school in order to be in the lineup everyday and if the reports that surfaced a while back about maybe inserting him into the field were accurate, he must've demonstrated at least marginal skills at a fielder.

I just don't see his pitching career coming together as anything better than average as best, as you said. If I'm an MLB organization with not-especially-bright prospects on making the playoffs, I take a chance in seeing if this guy can become an impact everyday player, because it doesn't look like he's going to be an impact pitcher. Maybe someone out there (and the Reds) know something about his fielding that I don't. At this point in my mind his potential for helping a team win is being squandered.

I agree, though he's off to a decent start this year. It seems that his ceiling as a pitcher is "average". He's a pretty good hitter from everything I can tell ... the question is whether or not it's too late. He's already 27 years old. Even if you think he can learn how to play left field, do you think he could be ready to play everyday at 28? If it takes any longer, well ... age isn't kind.