Is Jeff Samardzija Still Playing Baseball?

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Jeff Samardzija on the mound, but is he still playing baseball? We’ll take a look at his career and see what he’s up to these days.

Jeff Samardzija’s Baseball Career

Jeff Samardzija was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2006 and made his Major League debut in 2008. He played for the Cubs for six seasons before being traded to the Oakland Athletics in 2014. He then played for the San Francisco Giants for two seasons before signing with the Chicago White Sox in 2016. He is currently a free agent.

Jeff Samardzija’s Early Life and Career

Jeffrey Alan “Jeff” Samardzija (/ˌsæmərdʒiːə/; born January 23, 1985), nicknamed “The Shark”, is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago White Sox.

Samardzija was drafted by the Cubs in the fifth round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft out of Notre Dame. He made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2008 as a reliever, and became a starter the following season. After spending most of his career with the Cubs, he was traded to Oakland midway through the 2014 season. He was an All-Star with the A’s in 2015. He finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting that year after leading the AL in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9). The A’s traded Samardzija back to the Giants following the 2015 season. In 2016, he helped lead the Giants to their first postseason appearance since winning the World Series in 2014. After two seasons with San Francisco, he was traded to South Side rivals White Sox before the start of the 2017 season.

Samardzija is a two-time All-Star. Over his eleven-year MLB career, he has compiled a 93–104 win–loss record and a 4.09 earned run average (ERA) with 1,439 strikeouts and 390 walks in 1,767 innings pitched.

Early life and career
Samardzija was born and raised in Merrillville, Indiana, to parents Stephen and Deborah Samardzija.[1][2] His father had emigrated from Croatia to Gary Works in 1967.[3][4] Jeff has two older sisters Tiffany and Tara.[5] Samardzija attended Valparaiso High School where he played football as a wide receiver and defensive back,[6] and also played baseball.[7][8] In football, he helped lead his team to an Indiana Class 4A state championship appearance in 2000,[9] recording 54 receptions for 1,021 yards (19 yd/catch avg.) and 13 touchdowns on offense,[10] while also compiling 84 tackles, five interceptions (one returned for touchdown), 11 pass deflections and two fumble recoveries on defense.[11][12][13] As a senior sidekick to eventual Mr. Football Award winner Kyle Orton,[14][15] Samadzija caught 47 passes for 931 yards (19.9 yd/catch avg.) and 13 touchdowns,[16][17][18] becoming only one of three players ever from Northwest Indiana to surpass 900 receiving yards in a single season at that time.[19] On special teams, he totaled 747 kickoff return yards on 27 attempts (27.6 yd/return avg.), including two touchdowns.[20][21]

Jeff Samardzija’s Time with the Chicago White Sox

Jeff Samardzija pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 2008 to 2014. He was drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB draft. Samardzija made his MLB debut with the White Sox in 2008. He was a member of the White Sox rotation from 2012 to 2014. Samardzija was traded to the Oakland Athletics during the 2014 season.

Jeff Samardzija’s Time with the San Francisco Giants

Jeff Samardzija pitched for the San Francisco Giants from 2015 to 2018. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2006 and made his MLB debut with the team in 2008. He pitched for the Oakland Athletics from 2014 to 2015 before being traded to the Giants. Samardzija signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Giants in 2015. In his four seasons with the team, he had a record of 24-29 with an ERA of 4.42. He became a free agent after the 2018 season and signed a two-year, $23 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jeff Samardzija’s Post-Baseball Career

Jeff Samardzija last played for the Chicago White Sox in 2015. He was traded to the South Side in a mid-season blockbuster that also sent fellow right-hander Michael Kopech to the White Sox. Kopech made his major league debut in 2018, while Samardzija has not pitched in the majors since 2015.

Jeff Samardzija’s Acting Career

Though he’s best known for his career in baseball, Jeff Samardzija has also had a successful career in acting. He’s appeared in a number of TV shows and movies, including Entourage, We’re the Millers, and Ted 2. In addition to his work on the big and small screens, Samardzija has also done voiceover work for video games like MLB The Show.

Jeff Samardzija’s Business Ventures

Jeff Samardzija is a retired professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics. He also founded the apparel company Old Pitch.

After he retired from baseball in 2020, Samardzija started a business ventures, including Old Pitch and 88mph, a velocity-tracking company for pitchers.

Old Pitch is an online store that sells apparel for baseball players and fans of the game. The company’s products include shirts, hats, and other gear.

88mph is a velocity-tracking company that uses sensors to measure the speed of pitches thrown by pitchers. The company’s products are used by major league teams and players to improve their performance.

Jeff Samardzija’s Personal Life

Jeff Samardzija is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Samardzija has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics. He has also played for the Split-Croatia National Team.

Jeff Samardzija’s Family

Jeff Samardzija was born on January 23, 1985, in Merced, California, to parents Nancy and Dick Samardzija. He has two sisters, Krista and Nicole. His father played both football and baseball at the University of Notre Dame. Samardzija graduated from Valparaiso High School in 2003. He then attended Notre Dame on a baseball scholarship.

Samardzija’s professional career began when he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. He made his debut with the Cubs in 2008. He was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 2014 and then signed with the San Francisco Giants in 2015. He became a free agent after the 2018 season and signed with the Seattle Mariners.

Jeff Samardzija’s Personal Interests

Jeff Samardzija is a passionate man with many interests outside of baseball. He is an avid outdoorsman, and enjoys hunting and fishing in his free time. He is also a talented musician, and plays the guitar and piano. In addition to his musical talents, Jeff is also a skilled carpenter, and has built several pieces of furniture for his home.