Veteran righty Jeremy Guthrie has announced his retirement from the game in a piece for the Player’s Tribune. The 38-year-old will hang up his spikes after parts of 13 years in the majors.
It’s hardly surprising to learn that Guthrie will formally end his career, as he had indicated back in May that he would not be pursuing another contract. But the sturdy righty waited until the trade deadline to make it official. This marks the first time that Guthrie has featured so prominently on deadline day itself, though he was twice traded — first in the offseason and later just in advance of the 2012 deadline.
It was that second swap that brought Guthrie to the Royals, where he enjoyed his second lengthy run with a single organization. During parts of four seasons in Kansas City, Guthrie compiled 653 2/3 innings of 4.38 ERA ball. He did much the same during his prior five-year stint with the Orioles, over which he maintained a 4.12 ERA in 983 1/3 frames.
Shorter terms with the Indians (where he started), the Rockies, and most recently the Nationals weren’t as fruitful, but all told it was a successful career for the former first-rounder out of Stanford. Guthrie averaged better than 200 frames annually from 2008 through 2014 and compiled 20.4 RA9-WAR over his career.
Beyond his steady contributions on the field, Guthrie has always been a positive and engaging figure in the game, and no doubt will continue to be in his future ventures. We at MLBTR wish him nothing but the best moving forward — and preemptively pardon him for upstaging today’s deadline news with his announcement.
Good luck in retirement
A 135.00 ERA will do that
What a final year he had.
2,400 professional innings and the age of 38 will do that. $43MM allows him to do that.
Also a ring.
not really. There is always the possibility of a young family that he wants to be part of, considering the type of man he is. He probably could’ve worked his butt off, at the expense of losing family time that he’d never regain, so kudos to him for realizing that some things are more important than money.
people don’t realize that he also did not play baseball from age 19 to 21. How many other big leaguers have done that and still pitched/played for as long as he did?
He came up with Cleveland. I always wish they would’ve kept him. Good luck, Mr. Guthrie!
good luck!
For sure hall of famer
Funny
/s
One outing does not make a career. He might not have been a Hall of Famer, but he was a solid starting pitcher for the majority of his career.
His biggest problem with the Rockies was his anxiety over Coors. (Well that and the bicycle accident.) He never could get past it. You could tell in every interview he did.
Good luck with the next chapter, sir.
Never a big “fan” of his. Nonetheless a class act. Good luck and a much deserved happy retirement from this White Sox fan. Thank you for your services over the years.
this Is a sad day
As a Yankees fan, I’ll miss him giving up 11 runs in 1IP….
Great guy personally who put up a noteworthy career. Never the biggest fan but respect the heck out of him and wish him the best in whatever he chooses to do next
The 11 runs let up in the first inning to the phillies and i say as a Phillies fan good bless your bad pitching
He didn’t retire, MLB retired him as nobody wanted him anymore.
A great example for the youth of Kansas City and everywhere else he played. Excited for Mr. Guthrie and his wife for the honor of being selected to lead the young men and women of the mission is Texas. God Speed! America is better for heroes like the Guthrie’s