Javier Lopez Retires: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

Javier Lopez showed signs of slowing down throughout the 2016 season and decided now was the right time for him to walk away from Major League Baseball. 

Speaking to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Lopez announced his decision to retire after 14 MLB seasons. 

"More than anything, it's just time," Lopez said. "It's a young man's game. Although I think I can compete, it's getting harder and harder to get ready for spring. I'm looking forward to some other things in my life. We'll see what they are. I don't know yet, but we'll come up with something."

After the San Francisco Giants were eliminated from the postseason by the Chicago Cubs last October, Lopez told reporters he was unsure about his future. 

"I don't know what's next for me," he said, per Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area. "I'm a free agent, and we'll see what happens. If I have the opportunity to come back, I'll welcome that."

Lopez spent the last seven years with the Giants, and his production dropped off last season as the Giants vied for a National League wild-card spot. 

In 26.2 innings over the course of 68 games, Lopez posted a 4.05 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 5.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Perhaps most concerning, though, was that Lopez struck out 15 batters and walked the same amount during a season in which righties had no problem hitting him. 

Although opposing lefties batted .208 against Lopez last season, the 14-year veteran allowed right-handed batters to post a slash line of .348/.464/.522 in a 28-plate-appearance sample size. 

The other factor working against Lopez is the way in which his velocity has declined as he's approached 40. 

While he's never overpowered batters with tremendous firepower, Lopez's fastball clocked in at an average of just 84.2 mph last season, according to FanGraphs. 

Despite a less than stellar end to his career, Lopez was one of the best left-handed setup men in MLB for a long time. He held left-handed hitters to a .202/.283/.289 slash line in 1,102 at-bats against.

Lopez pitched for the Giants, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks and Pittsburgh Pirates in his career. He won four World Series titles in 14 years, including each of the Giants' three championships since 2010 and with the Red Sox in 2007.

Stats per Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.