Michael Brantley, 5-Time MLB All-Star, Retires After 15 Years with Cleveland, Astros

Five-time MLB All-Star Michael Brantley's career has come to an end after 15 seasons.

Brantley told MLB Network's Jon Morosi of his decision to walk away after playing for the Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros.

"It's time for me to be home 24/7, watch my kids grow up, and not miss important milestones," he said.

Brantley began his professional career with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was a seventh-round draft pick out of Fort Pierce Central High School in 2005.

The Brewers traded Brantley to Cleveland in October 2008 as part of a unique agreement between the two teams. CC Sabathia was traded to Milwaukee during the 2008 season for a package of players that also included Matt LaPorta, Zach Jackson, and Rob Bryson.

Per a stipulation in the deal, Cleveland was given the right to select the player to be named later in the trade if the Brewers made the postseason. If Milwaukee failed to make the playoffs, it would have been allowed to choose the player to be named in the deal.

Sabathia led the Brewers to the postseason, allowing Cleveland to add Brantley. He made his MLB debut in 2009 and spent 10 seasons with Cleveland.

When he became a free agent following the 2018 season, Brantley signed with the Astros. He played the final five years of his big-league career in Houston.

Brantley hit .298/.355/.439 with 129 homers, 720 RBI and 125 stolen bases in 1,445 career games. He was named to the AL All-Star team five times, including four times in five seasons from 2017 to '21.

The 2014 season saw Brantley finish third in AL MVP voting when he hit .327/.385/.506 with 20 homers, 97 RBI and 23 stolen bases. He won a World Series with the Astros in 2022, though a shoulder injury prevented him from playing in the postseason.