Brad Eldred
Brad Eldred, nicknamed “Big Country,” is a former American professional baseball first baseman. Born July 12, 1980, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he bats and throws right-handed. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Detroit Tigers, and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp from 2012 to 2018.
Raised in Florida, Eldred attended Florida International University and played summer baseball in the Cape Cod League in 2000 with the Harwich Mariners. The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in the sixth round of the 2002 MLB draft. In 2004, he was named the Pirates’ minor-league player of the year after strong seasons in the lower minors. Eldred made his major league debut on July 22, 2005, with the Pirates.
His MLB career included time with the Pirates and stints with the Rockies and Tigers. After dealing with injuries and spending time in the minors, he moved to Japan in 2012 to play for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. In Japan, Eldred found success, hitting 37 home runs in 2014 and 21 in 2016 despite injuries. He helped Hiroshima reach the playoffs and was named a two-time NPB All-Star, the 2014 Central League home run leader, and the 2014 NPB All-Star Game MVP.
Off the field, Eldred is married to Cindy Eldred, and they have four daughters: Avery, Kensy, Cecelia, and Elsie. He graduated from Coconut Creek High School in Florida in 1998.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 09:43 (CET).