MLB Veterans from Each Team Who Might Retire After the 2012 Season

Each offseason is filled with the excitement of free agency, but also with the bittersweet endings of the careers of some of the most beloved players in the league.

This season saw the retirements of Jorge Posada, Tim Wakefield, J.D. Drew and Javier Vazquez.

Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Varitek are also mulling over retirement, as they wait to see if a team will offer them a minor league contract prior to the start of the season. For Varitek, it appears to be either the Red Sox or retirement.

There are several aging veterans that may be contemplating retirement following the 2012 season.

For some, it will be good riddance. For others, we will be left wishing that they hadn't left so soon.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Geoff Blum

Geoff Blum has been somewhat of a journeyman over his 13-year career.

He has played for the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.

He currently has 99 career home runs and 478 career RBI, along with a slash line of .250/.311/.386.

Last season for the D'Backs, Blum played in 23 games, hitting .224/.309/.408 with two home runs and 10 RBI.

Blum may not even make the team out of spring training, considering the fact that the other backup infielders competing for a spot are Lyle Overbay and Willie Bloomquist.

Bloomquist will most likely be guaranteed a spot, and the D'Backs definitely won't take both Overbay and Blum on the Opening Day roster.

Whether he makes the team or not, 2012 should be Blum's last season in the league.

Atlanta Braves: Chipper Jones

I'm sure many Braves fans have been dreading the day that Chipper Jones announces his retirement. It hasn't happened yet, but it may be on the horizon.

Jones, one of the best switch-hitters of all-time, has posted three consecutive down seasons, and it may be best for him to retire before he becomes a complete liability.

He is just 46 home runs away from the prestigious 500 mark, but he has averaged about 13 home runs per season over the past three years.

Jones will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when it comes time, considering his .304/.402/.533 line, 454 home runs and 1561 RBI as a switch-hitter.

It's also worth noting that his contract expires at the end of the season.

Whether or not he chooses to retire remains to be seen, but Jones would be wise to accept the inevitable and ride off into the sunset.

Baltimore Orioles: Brian Roberts

Seeing as the Orioles are a young team, choosing a player who needs to retire was based off of production and injury history.

Brian Roberts' career has been very unfortunate. When healthy, Roberts can be considered a top-10 second baseman in the league.

He has great speed, respectable power and a knack for driving the ball into the gaps.

He has eclipsed the 50 double plateau three times in his 11-year career, 30 steals four times and 100 runs four times.

Over the past two seasons, Roberts has suffered from a herniated disc, an abdominal strain and a concussion.

Injuries have always been a problem in his career, and it may be a smart decision to retire before he injures himself again.

Boston Red Sox: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Daisuke Matsuzaka has been nothing but inconsistent in his Major League career.

He owns a career ERA of 4.25 and a BB/9 of 4.4. His career WHIP of 1.397 is also astronomically high.

The past three seasons have been riddled with injuries for Matsuzaka, and with his contract set to expire after the season, he should either retire or return to Japan.

Matsuzaka is set to miss a large chunk of 2012 as it is, and there's no guarantee that he will be effective when he returns.

If the rotation is rolling when he returns, he may even find himself relegated to the bullpen.

Maybe Matsuzaka won't retire from baseball altogether, but he should definitely retire from American baseball.

Chicago White Sox: A.J. Pierzynski

A.J. Pierzynski is currently entering the final year in the two-year $8 million contract he signed with the White Sox prior to the 2011 season.

With Tyler Flowers being the future at catcher for the White Sox, 2012 may actually be Pierzynski's last season in Chicago.

Considering that it's been tough this offseason for veteran catchers to find jobs—see Jorge Posada, Jason Varitek and Ivan Rodriguez—there's reason to believe that next season will be similar.

If Pierzynski produces at a high enough level, the White Sox may want to resign him. If he doesn't produce, though, Pierzynski may have no choice but to retire.

Chicago Cubs: Kerry Wood

Kerry Wood signed a one-year contract to return to the Cubs for the 2012 season, and the deal includes a club option for the 2013 season.

Despite the club option, Kerry Wood should retire on top.

Even though Wood is just 34 years old, there is a lot of mileage on his arm.

He has 13 seasons under his belt and a slew of arm injuries that changed the outcome of his career.

If Wood doesn't call it quits after the 2012 season, he almost certainly will following the 2013 season.

Cinncinnati Reds: Miguel Cairo

Miguel Cairo is entering the final season of the two-year $2 million deal he signed with the Reds prior to the 2011 season.

In what will be Cairo's 17th season in the majors, he figures to have a small role off the bench.

Over the course of his career, Cairo has played for the Blue Jays, Cubs, Devil Rays, Cardinals, Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Phillies and Reds.

He is the epitome of a career-long journeyman and has played valuable roles on several teams throughout his career.

There's no guarantee that he'll receive another major league contract, so Cairo would be best served to retire after the 2012 season.

Cleveland Indians: Derek Lowe

In what became the first big name move of the offseason, the Indians acquired Lowe from the Braves to fill out the back of their rotation. It ended up being a good move, too, because Roberto Hernandez's (Fausto Carmona's) situation seems to be up in the air.

Lowe is entering the final year of his four-year $60 million deal that he signed with Atlanta and is 38 years old.

He led the National League with 17 losses in 2011 and posted a terrible 5.05 ERA.

His last good season came in 2008, his last year with the Dodgers. He went 14-11 that season while posting a 3.24 ERA.

All signs point to another year of struggles for Lowe, and teams most likely won't be taking a chance on a 39-year-old veteran who hasn't had a good season in four years.

Lowe should make the right decision by retiring.

Colorado Rockies: Jason Giambi

Jason Giambi will enter the 2012 season at 41 years old. He is also in the final year of a two-year $1.85 million contract.

He has had a pretty successful career, hitting 428 home runs and driving in 1,397 runs.

He may have hit 13 home runs last season in just 131 at-bats, but Giambi's days are slowly dwindling.

Because of his numbers, Giambi may receive some Hall of Fame consideration. Ultimately, though, he will not be inducted because of his association with performance enhancing drugs.

Detroit Tigers: Brandon Inge

Brandon Inge was forced out of the third base equation when the Tigers signed Prince Fielder. With the signing, Miguel Cabrera agreed to become the team's third basemen.

Inge will be given ample opportunities to win the second-base job in spring training, but Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago will definitely put up a strong fight.

The team owns a club option on Inge for the 2013 season, but he could become a very expensive bench option if he is not the starting second basemen.

It may be unlikely that another team takes a shot on Inge if he becomes a free agent, as he hasn't posted a batting average of at least .250 since 2006.

Inge may be forced into retirement after this season if he does not win the second-base job.

Houston Astros: Jack Cust

The Astros' pick came down to Carlos Lee and Jack Cust, but seeing as Lee can still be a semi-productive DH after the seeing, Cust seems like the logical choice to retire after the season.

Cust has tons of power, but he doesn't play the field well enough to get much playing time. 

As a member of the Astros this season, he will most likely serve as a pinch hitter off the bench.

He may not even see time at DH during interleague play, as Lee will probably be placed there with Brett Wallace manning first base and Jimmy Paredes playing third base.

Cust doesn't have much left in the tank, and it may take a long season in Houston for him to realize that.

Kansas City Royals: None

After a thorough search of the Royals roster, I was unable to choose somebody who may retire after the season.

The oldest player on the roster is Bruce Chen (34), but he just signed a two-year contract prior to the season.

The next oldest player is Yuniesky Betancourt (30), and seeing that he is only with the club on a one-year contract, he would be the only player on the roster that makes any sense at all.

That being said, barring some sort of catastrophic injury, nobody from the Royals' 2012 roster will be retiring at the end of the season.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Bobby Abreu

Bobby Abreu is entering the final year of his three-year contract with the Angels, may be without a definite spot in the lineup in 2012 and has posted two consecutive sub-par seasons.

Oh, and by the way, he will be 38 years old in less than a month.

If that isn't a formula for retirement, I don't know what is.

Abreu has had a very successful Major League career and will most likely garner some Hall of Fame consideration after his retirement.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Matt Treanor

Matt Treanor signed a one-year contract worth just under one million dollars this offseason with the Dodgers.

He will most likely serve as the backup catcher, and at 35, his best days are most likely behind him.

Treanor has never been a regular catcher and sports a career .225/.315/.307 line with 16 home runs and 119 RBI.

Due to his age, declining ability and lack of starting experience, it will be difficult for Treanor to find a job after the 2012 season.

Miami Marlins: Randy Choate

Randy Choate led the league in appearances in 2010 as a member of the Rays, but pitched to a 4.23 ERA.

He is the epitome of a lefty specialist, pitching just 270.2 innings over 396 games in his career.

He had a bit of a bounce-back year in 2011, pitching to a 1.82 ERA in 24.2 innings.

Choate will be a free agent after the season, and teams may not be willing to take a chance on the soft-tossing 36-year old if he has a mediocre season in 2012.

Retirement may be the only reasonable option for him.

Milwaukee Brewers: Alex Gonzalez

The 35-year-old Alex Gonzalez will be entering his 14th Major League season in 2012.

He will be taking over at shortstop for the Brewers, following the departure of Yuniesky Betancourt.

Gonzalez's career can best be described with this one word: mediocre.

He owns a career slash line of .247/.291/.399 with 152 home runs and 665 RBI. He has never hit higher than .277 in his career and has never registered an on-base percentage higher than .325.

He also owns a career .972 fielding percentage.

Following the season, there may not be much interest in the aging shortstop. Without a guaranteed major league job, Gonzalez may swallow his pride and retire.

Minnesota Twins: Carl Pavano

We all know of Carl Pavano's struggles throughout his career. He has struggled with staying healthy, and he has struggled with producing at a high level when healthy.

He is entering the final year on his contract with the Twins in 2012, and may not be fielding many major league offers after the season.

Although he is 36 years old, he does not have that much mileage on his arm. He's been injured so often that he's only recorded more than 30 starts five times in his 13-year career.

His recent struggles may be enough to scare teams away after the season, and Pavano may not be interested in taking a minor league deal at this point in his career.

New York Mets: Tim Byrdak

As a 38-year-old left-handed specialist with a 4.29 career ERA over 304.1 innings, Tim Byrdak may be on the home stretch of his career.

He also has a career WHIP of 1.538, a number high enough to scare away potential suitors.

After the season, the veteran lefty would do well to retire. He might not want to accept a minor league contract when he's 39 years old, and that's probably all that he'd be offered.

New York Yankees: Mariano Rivera

No surprise here, as it's been rumored recently that Mariano Rivera may be calling it quits after the 2012 season.

Rivera certainly falls under the "it's too soon" category, but Yankees fans cannot fault the man who has been the most valuable player on the team for the past 15 seasons.

He's the all-time saves leader, the all-time postseason saves leader and arguably the greatest relief pitcher of all-time.

Rivera deserves to ride off into the sunset, and he may very well do so after the 2012 season.

Oakland Athletics: Brian Fuentes

Left-hander Brian Fuentes is entering the final year of his two-year deal he signed with the A's prior to last season, and pitched to the third highest ERA of his career as a full-time major leaguer (3.70).

Fuentes is not nearly as effective as he used to be as the regular closer for the Rockies from 2005-2009.

He has become mostly a setup man at best, and he was the emergency closer for the A's last season (he recorded 12 saves).

He'll be 37 in August, and he may be looking at minor league deals after this contract is over.

In a similar situation with many other veterans on this list, Fuentes will need to ask himself if taking a minor league deal at this point in his career is worth it.

Philadelphia Phillies: Jim Thome

This season will be Jim Thome's 22nd in the league.

He has quite the illustrious career, hitting his 600th career home run last season and driving in over 1,600 runs.

Better yet, he has achieved all of this without ever being associated with performance enhancing drugs.

Thome is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a man who will go down as one of the best left-handed sluggers in major league history.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Rod Barajas

Rod Barajas has never been more than a powerful catcher who provides little defense behind the plate.

He hasn't hit over .250 since 2006, and he has only eclipsed the 20 home-run mark once in his 13-year career.

He signed a one-year deal with the Pirates this offseason, and the deal includes a club option for 2013.

If he produces, the team will most likely exercise the option. If he doesn't, then there won't be much of a market for an aging catcher who offers little defense—and actually little offense, for that matter.

San Diego Padres: Mark Kotsay

At 36 years old, Mark Kotsay will be entering his 16th season in the league in 2012.

Whether it be as a role player or everyday player, Kotsay has been a very consistent major leaguer.

He owns a career line of .278/.335/.410 with 124 home runs and 694 RBI.

His skill set has clearly been declining over the past several years, though, and it may be time for him to call it quits.

San Francisco Giants: Aubrey Huff

If the trend continues, Aubrey Huff is in for a productive season in 2012.

Since 2008, which was a good season, Huff has flip-flopped success and failure.

It's most likely just a coincidence, though, so Huff may be in for more struggles this season.

He is without a defined role on the team, and the Giants have a club option on him for the 2013 season. Without a clear role and possible question marks about his production, he may not be asked to come back after the season.

At 35 years old, he may not have much left in the tank for another team to take a risk on him.

Seattle Mariners: Ichiro Suzuki

It's hard to believe that Ichiro is 38 years old, but his down season in 2011 helped remind us.

He hit under .300 for the first time in his major league career (.272), recorded less than 200 hits for the first time (184) and failed to record an on-base percentage of .350 for the first time (.310).

The drop-off in production has caused manager Eric Wedge to drop Ichiro from first to third in the lineup, with Chone Figgins taking over the leadoff spot.

Being that this is the final year in his contract, Ichiro may not be able to work out another contract with the Mariners. Sure, he is an icon there, but he is a shell of his former self.

Rather than moving on to a new team at this point in his career, Ichiro may just choose to retire after the season.

St. Louis Cardinals: J.C. Romero

Long gone are the days of J.C. Romero being a reliable Major League reliever.

He has not been the same since the 2008 positive drug test that resulted in a 50-game suspension, and is currently on a one-year $750 thousand deal with the defending world champions.

In no way is he guaranteed a spot in the bullpen, and he may choose to call it quits if he fails to make the squad out of spring training.

Tampa Bay Rays: Jose Molina

There's no question that Jose Molina is one of the best defensive catchers in the game today. Unfortunately for him, his bat really lacks in comparison to his defense.

Molina did have his best season with the bat in 2011, though, hitting .281/.342/.415 with three home runs and 15 RBI. This was accomplished in 171 at-bats.

The club holds a team option on him for the 2013 season, but if he doesn't produce, it's unlikely that the team will pick it up.

He's getting up there in age (he'll be 37 on June 3), and he's never exactly been in great shape. Those factors all seem to add up to retirement for Molina at the end of the season.

Texas Rangers: Koji Uehara

Koji Uehara will be 37 years old by Opening Day (April 3) and went through an injury-plagued season in 2011.

He has been solid since coming over from Japan prior to the 2009 season (3.13 career ERA), but considering the fact that he was a starting pitcher in Japan, he has a lot of mileage on his arm.

At 37, Uehara may have enough left in the tank to get him through one more season, after which he may choose to retire. 

Whether that means retiring altogether or heading back to Japan remains to be seen.

Toronto Blue Jays: Darren Oliver

Darren Oliver signed a one-year contract with a team option for the 2013 season with the Blue Jays this offseason after two very successful seasons in Texas.

Oliver actually hit his prime at age 35 during the 2006 season, as he's posted an ERA under 3.80 each season since.

After an 18- (going on 19-) year career, the question for Oliver is not his productivity.

He'll be 42 by the end of the season, and he may not have the drive to give it another go in 2013.

Washington Nationals: Brad Lidge

Brad Lidge signed a one-year contract worth $1 million with the Nationals during the offseason. At 35 years old with a high volume of injuries throughout his career, he may not get another contract.

Lidge came back strong last season, proving to teams that he was healthy enough for a major league contract. In 19.1 innings, he posted a 1.40 ERA with the Phillies.

Given the number of injuries he's sustained during his career, as well as the high amount of inconsistency, Lidge may have problems finding himself another major league contract after the season.

He may just retire rather than going through the motions of a minor league deal.

Conclusion

It's very likely that three future Hall of Famers will be retiring from the game following the 2012 season.

Chipper Jones, Mariano Rivera and Jim Thome have all put in their time during their long, successful Major League careers, and each will be sorely missed by their fans.

Of course, there is no guarantee that any of the players on the list will retire.

Judging by their ages, statistics and injury histories, though, it may be smart if some of them did.