Former MLB Stars Who Clearly Need to Retire
Knowing when to call it quits as a professional athlete is never easy.
That applies to everyone from low-impact role players to superstar faces of the sport, and ahead we'll take a look at some former stars who have reached the end of the line.
Some of these players are toiling in free agency, some are headed there this offseason and a couple are still under contract for 2019.
The one thing they have in common is that retirement is calling.
Whether it's because of advanced age, a rapid decline in production or some combination of the two, these players have arrived at the end of their respective careers.
Before we dive in, let me just say that you won't see Bartolo Colon on this list. I don't think he should retire this offseason. In fact, I don't think he should ever retire. As long as someone is willing to give Big Sexy a job, he needs to be on a big league mound, for the good of the sport.
Adrian Gonzalez, Free Agent
1 of 9
Age: 36
2018 Stats: 187 PA, .237/.299/.373, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 15 R, -0.6 WAR
2019 Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook
Traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Atlanta Braves during the offseason in a shuffling of bad contracts, Adrian Gonzalez was promptly released as the Braves absorbed his $22,357,000 salary.
The New York Mets scooped him up for the league minimum a month later, and he broke camp with the starting first base job with Dominic Smith returning to the minors for more seasoning.
However, after hitting just .237/.299/.373 with six home runs and 26 RBI in 54 games, Gonzalez was released again on June 11.
The 36-year-old has remained unsigned since, and while some AL team might be willing to give him a look as a low-cost DH option on a minor league deal, there's a good chance this is the end of the line.
If he does retire, the 2000 No. 1 overall pick will wrap up his 15-year career with a 129 OPS+, 317 home runs and 1,202 RBI—good for 42.2 WAR.
Chase Headley, Free Agent
2 of 9
Age: 34
2018 Stats: 60 PA, .115/.233/.135, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, -0.5 WAR
2019 Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook
On the strength of a huge second half, Chase Headley finished fifth in NL MVP voting during the 2012 season, wrapping up that campaign with a 145 OPS+, 31 home runs and an NL-leading 115 RBI.
The San Diego Padres opted against selling high, and that proved to be a mistake.
His offensive production crashed back to earth, and while he remained a 3-WAR player, the Padres wound up settling for a package of Yangervis Solarte and Jose Rafael De Paula at the 2014 deadline.
However, after he posted a 119 OPS+ and 2.1 WAR in 58 games following the trade, the Yankees brought him back on a four-year, $52 million deal in free agency.
Over the first three years of that deal, he managed a middling 94 OPS+ and 5.3 WAR. With prospect Miguel Andujar ready to take over the third base gig this season, he was shipped back to San Diego along with Bryan Mitchell in an offseason salary dump.
After logging a brutal 6 OPS+ in 60 plate appearances, he was released on May 17, and that may be the end of a 12-year career that was worth 26.1 WAR.
Tim Lincecum, Free Agent
3 of 9
Age: 34
2018 Stats (AAA): 12.2 IP, 1-1, 5.68 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, 9 BB, 10 K
2019 Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook
From 2008 to 2011, Tim Lincecum was arguably the best pitcher in baseball.
The deceptive right-hander went 62-36 with a 2.81 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 977 strikeouts in 881.2 innings during that span. He won back-to-back NL Cy Young Awards, made four straight All-Star appearances and led the league in strikeouts three times.
However, his ERA spiked to 5.18 during the 2012 season and he's never bounced back. He reached free agency for the first time following the 2015 season, and after catching on with the Los Angeles Angels midseason, he struggled to a 9.16 ERA over 38.1 innings.
After watching from the sidelines in 2017, he attempted a comeback with the Texas Rangers this season, but he was slowed by a blister during spring training and eventually released after 10 shaky relief appearances at Triple-A.
"Despite best intentions and a lot of hard work, we just didn't feel that it was the right move to bring him up right now," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told reporters at the time of his release. "He was throwing OK, still kind of inconsistent with this command. We just were not of the mindset that it was going to be an upgrade on our relievers who are here."
It might be time to throw in the towel on a career that also includes three World Series titles and 20.1 WAR.
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Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers
4 of 9
Age: 39
2018 Stats: 498 PA, .247/.295/.348, 9 HR, 53 RBI, 31 R, -1.2 WAR
2019 Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook
Victor Martinez turned in one of the best age-35 seasons in MLB history in 2014, finishing second in AL MVP voting in the process:
- 2014: 172 OPS+, .335/.409/.565, 32 HR, 103 RBI, 5.5 WAR
That earned him an ill-advised four-year, $68 million extension from the Detroit Tigers, and he didn't come close to duplicating that performance over the life of that deal:
- 2015: 84 OPS+, .245/.301/.366, 11 HR, 64 RBI, -1.6 WAR
- 2016: 121 OPS+, .289/.351/.476, 27 HR, 86 RBI, 1.5 WAR
- 2017: 86 OPS, .255/.324/.372, 10 HR, 47 RBI, -0.6 WAR
- 2018: 76 OPS+, .247/.295/.348, 9 HR, 53 RBI, -1.2 WAR
The 39-year-old has had an excellent career, starting as an offensive-minded catcher with the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox, and peaking in the DH role with the Tigers.
All told, he's been worth 32.2 WAR over the course of his 16-year career.
Hunter Pence, San Francisco Giants
5 of 9
Age: 35
2018 Stats: 217 PA, .211/.249/.309, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 13 R, -1.0 WAR
2019 Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook
Hunter Pence's time with the San Francisco Giants is winding to a close, and he's making the most of his swan song.
"I try to enjoy it and give everything I have every day, but it is pretty special," Pence told reporters. "It's been an incredible time for me being a part of the Giants' organization for this long. I've loved every bit of it. I'm going to continue to do so until I'm officially gone."
There was a time not long ago when Pence was arguably the most important player on the San Francisco roster.
During an injury-plagued 2015 season, the Giants went 34-18 in games that Pence played, compared to 50-60 without him in the lineup. The following year, he posted a 118 OPS+ and 2.1 WAR in 106 games, but his production has declined precipitously in the final two years of a five-year, $90 million deal.
Since the start of 2017, he's hit just .245/.296/.363 over 756 plate appearances for a minus-0.8 WAR, and he's found himself in a part-time role this season as a result.
The three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion has 29.5 WAR for his career, and he'll forever have a place in Giants lore.
Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels
6 of 9
Age: 38
2018 Stats: 498 PA, .245/.289/.411, 19 HR, 64 RBI, 50 R, 0.4 WAR
2019 Contract Status: $28 million (signed through 2021)
Outlook
On the surface, it seems unlikely Albert Pujols would leave $87 million on the table.
However, it's not out of the question to think he could assume some sort of advisory role in the front office for the duration of his contract, similar to the graceful exit Alex Rodriguez made from the New York Yankees at the end of his playing career.
What's certain is that Pujols is a shell of the player he once was. Hobbled by foot and knee injuries, he's hit an uninspired .243/.287/.397 for an 85 OPS+ over the past two seasons.
That's a far cry from the .309/.392/.573 line he posted over the first 16 years of his career when he averaged 37 home runs and 114 RBI per season en route to three MVP awards.
It's time for the Los Angeles Angels to turn their attention to the future, though.
First base prospect Matt Thaiss hit .280/.335/.467 with 34 doubles, 16 home runs and 76 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A this year. The former first-round pick has earned his chance.
With 633 career home runs and 99.8 WAR, Pujols will go down as one of the best hitters to ever play the game whenever he decides to call it a career.
Hanley Ramirez, Free Agent
7 of 9
Age: 34
2018 Stats: 195 PA, .254/.313/.395, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 25 R, 0.2 WAR
2019 Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook
It looked like Hanley Ramirez was going to make a major impact for the 2018 Boston Red Sox when he hit .330/.400/.474 with three home runs and 17 RBI in April.
A month later, he was released.
An ugly .163/.200/.300 line over 85 plate appearances in May—coupled with the strong play of Mitch Moreland—resulted in the early termination of the final year of his four-year, $88 million deal.
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, there were "multiple teams" interested in Ramirez after he was released, but he never caught on elsewhere.
It's likely he'll face a similar situation during the offseason, as more and more teams have turned their attention away from aging veterans and the free-agent market in general.
If this is the end of the line for Han-Ram, he'll finish up a 14-year career with three All-Star appearances, a batting title and 38.1 WAR.
At his peak, he was as dynamic of a power/speed threat as the game has seen in recent years.
Jose Reyes, New York Mets
8 of 9
Age: 35
2018 Stats: 236 PA, .195/.267/.330, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 29 R, -0.5 WAR
2019 Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook
Jose Reyes was a serviceable utility option for the New York Mets in 2017. He posted a 94 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 15 home runs and 24 steals over 561 plate appearances, splitting his time between shortstop (80) third base (36), second base (28) and outfield (two).
This season has been a different story.
Among the 343 players with at least 200 plate appearances this season, he ranks as follows:
Those numbers are...not good.
He's also been a below-average defender everywhere he's lined up on the field, and at this point, it's hard to see him getting another chance at even semi-regular playing time.
Reyes has 2,137 career hits, ranks 33rd on the all-time stolen bases list with 517 steals and has racked up 36.3 WAR in his 16-year career.
Chris Tillman, Texas Rangers
9 of 9
Age: 30
2018 Stats: 26.2 IP, 1-5, 10.46 ERA, 2.21 WHIP, 17 BB, 13 K, -1.1 WAR
2019 Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook
It's easy to question Chris Tillman's inclusion on a list of "stars" that includes several perennial All-Stars and at least one future Hall of Famer.
However, at his peak, he was the unquestioned ace of the Baltimore Orioles staff:
- 2013: 33 GS, 16-7, 3.71 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 179 K, 206.1 IP, 3.8 WAR
- 2014: 34 GS, 13-6, 3.34 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 150 K, 207.1 IP, 2.7 WAR
After a rocky 2015 season, he bounced back the following year to go 16-6 with a 3.77 ERA over 172 innings, but he's fallen off dramatically since.
Slowed by a shoulder injury in 2017, he struggled to a 7.84 ERA over 93 innings and was eventually relegated to the bullpen.
Still, it looked like a prudent, low-risk move when the Orioles brought him back on a one-year, $3 million deal during the offseason. Things went from bad to worse, though, as he was shelled to the tune of a 10.46 ERA and 2.21 WHIP in seven starts before being released.
The Texas Rangers signed him to a minor league deal on Aug. 2 and could look to bring him back next season, but he has an awful long way to go to return to relevance.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, and accurate through Sept. 19.
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