Matt Joyce, American baseball player
Matthew Ryan Joyce (born August 3, 1984) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, and Philadelphia Phillies.
Joyce and his sister were raised by a single father in Tampa, Florida, and he frequently attended Rays games at Tropicana Field. College recruiters from a variety of Florida schools took interest after seeing Joyce play baseball at Armwood High School, and he chose to attend Florida Southern College. The Tigers took interest in Joyce when they played a spring training exhibition game against Florida Southern in 2005. He was selected by the Tigers in the 12th round of the 2005 MLB Draft. Over the next three seasons, Joyce steadily rose through the Tigers' farm system, and he made his MLB debut for the Tigers in 2008.
At the end of his rookie season, the Tigers traded Joyce to the Rays in exchange for pitcher Edwin Jackson. Joyce played five seasons with the team, including an All-Star appearance in 2011, before being traded to the Angels in 2014. Joyce's output with the Angels decreased after he suffered a concussion in July 2015, and he was traded to the Pirates in the offseason, with whom his performance improved. This led to a two-year deal with the Athletics, cut short after a July 2018 lumbar strain ended his season.
Joyce struck brief minor league deals with the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants in 2019 before being traded to the Braves. He signed a one-year deal with the Marlins in 2020, and helped the team clinch the 2020 National League Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs, giving the Marlins their first postseason appearance since 2003. In 2021, Joyce signed a one-year deal with the Phillies.