Aubrey Huff: “I’m Pretty Much Retired”

Aubrey Huff was hoping a team would invite him to Spring Training but since no contract materialized during the offseason, the 13-year veteran tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that he is "pretty much retired" from the game.

“I have no regrets,” Huff said. “I love it. I’m having a great time with my wife and kids. I don’t even have an itch to pick up a baseball bat. I wondered if I’d feel that desire when everybody reported to spring training, but I didn’t.”

Huff, 36, became a free agent when the Giants declined their $10MM option on his services for the 2013 season.  Huff signed a two-year, $22MM deal with San Francisco following the 2010 season and struggled with both injuries and an anxiety disorder over the life of that contract, hitting just .239/.309/.359 in 674 PA in 2011-12.  That said, Huff's overall tenure with the team was still a success given that his big 2010 campaign (an .891 OPS in 668 PA) came for a one-year price of $3MM and helped the Giants win a World Series title. 

Ed Hayes, Huff's agent, said in January that his client intended to play in 2013 and had spoken to a few interested teams.  The Diamondbacks were the only club known to be linked to Huff this winter.  His name had been mentioned as a possible target for the Yankees given that injuries to Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira had left New York short-handed at first base and left field, Huff's positions.

If this is indeed it for Huff, he retires with 242 homers and a .278/.342/.464 line over 6786 career PA.  The University of Miami product played for the Rays, Astros, Orioles, Tigers and Giants over his 13 years in the Major Leagues, winning a Silver Slugger Award with Baltimore in 2008 and winning two World Series rings with San Francisco.