Draft and minor leagues The
Philadelphia Phillies selected Floyd out of high school with the fourth overall selection of the
2001 draft. Floyd, who had originally made a verbal commitment to attend the
University of South Carolina, opted instead to play in major league baseball. In 2004, Floyd was a non-roster invitee to spring training. He began the season with the
Reading Phillies (AA) and did not allow any runs in his first four starts, allowing only one runner to make it past second base. He was named the Phillies farm system Minor League Pitcher of the Week, as well as Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April (2–0, 0.00 ERA). He was promoted to the
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (AAA) in July and made five starts before having his contract purchased by Phillies as a September callup.
Philadelphia Phillies Floyd made his Major League debut September 3, 2004, against the division rival
New York Mets and earned the win pitching seven strong innings allowing only one run on four hits, while striking out five. In 2005, Floyd made the Phillies out of
spring training. He made his first start of the season on April 9, pitched seven strong innings of one-run ball in a win against the
St. Louis Cardinals. However, Floyd struggled thereafter and was demoted to the minors, where he continued to struggle through to the end of the 2005 season. In seven games (four starts) with the Phillies, he was 1–2 with a 10.04 ERA, Floyd came to 2006 spring training with barely a consideration and pitched his way into the Phillies rotation as the #4 pitcher, pushing
Ryan Franklin to the bullpen. However, once again Floyd struggled, with a 4–3 record and a 7.29 ERA in 11 starts,
Chicago White Sox On December 6, 2006, Floyd was traded with
Gio González to the Chicago White Sox for
Freddy García. Floyd was expected to be handed the spot vacated by Garcia. However, since he pitched poorly during spring training, Floyd lost the spot and was optioned to Triple-A
Charlotte. On July 5, 2007, Floyd was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte by the White Sox. A day later, he pitched his first start as a South Sider in the second game of a
doubleheader against
Matt Garza of the
Minnesota Twins, earning the loss and yielding six runs in 5.2 innings of work; the
White Sox would eventually be blown out of the game, losing 12–0 to the rival Minnesota Twins. In 2008, Floyd emerged as a legitimate and solid starting pitcher at the back end of the White Sox rotation. Showing flashes of brilliance, he carried two near-
no-hitters against visiting
Detroit (April 12) and Minnesota (May 6) into the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, and also retired 12 consecutive
Baltimore Orioles to start an eventual 6–5 extra inning loss in Baltimore on April 17. He finished the regular season with a 17–8 record and a 3.84 ERA in 33 starts, During 2008 he led the majors in
stolen bases allowed with 37 – nine more than the next closest pitcher. Floyd signed again with the White Sox on March 22, 2009; with his four-year contract worth $15.5 million. During the 2009 season, Floyd started 30 games, posting an 11–11 record and an ERA of 4.06, Floyd only started five games with a 0–4 record and an ERA of 5.18 during the 2013 season. After an MRI revealed his elbow had a torn flexor muscle and UCL, Floyd underwent
Tommy John surgery on May 7, 2013 and was shut down for the rest of the 2013 season. He became a free agent following the season.
Atlanta Braves On December 16, 2013, Floyd signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the
Atlanta Braves. In June 2014, Floyd suffered a fractured
olecranon, missing the rest of the season.
Alex Wood replaced Floyd in the rotation.
Cleveland Indians On December 16, 2014, Floyd signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the
Cleveland Indians, but was subsequently placed on the 60-day disabled list on April 5, 2015 after injuring his pitching elbow during spring training. Floyd made his Indians debut on September 2, 2015, pitching a single inning of relief.
Toronto Blue Jays On February 6, 2016, Floyd signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the
Toronto Blue Jays. Floyd entered spring training in competition for the fifth starter role with
Aaron Sanchez,
Drew Hutchison, and
Jesse Chavez. On March 28, it was announced Sanchez would be the team's fifth starter, while Floyd would begin the season in the bullpen. Floyd left a game against the White Sox on June 25 with a shoulder injury, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game. On June 28, it was determined he had torn his right
lat muscle and would miss 8–12 weeks recovering. Floyd remained on the disabled list for the rest of the 2016 season. He finished the season with a 2–4 record, 4.06 ERA in 28 games, striking out 30 batters in 31 innings pitched. He became a free agent following the season. On January 5, 2017, Floyd signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays which included an invitation to spring training. He did not appear in any spring training games, and was released on April 5. ==Pitching style==