Reliever Luis Avilán has retired, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (X link). The Venezuela native pitched in parts of 10 big league seasons with seven teams.
Avilán began his career as an amateur signee with the Braves. He debuted with Atlanta in 2012 and pitched his first three-plus seasons there. Avilán allowed 2.00 earned runs per nine in 36 innings as a rookie and turned in his career season in the second year. He posted a 1.52 ERA through a personal-high 65 frames in 2013 and tacked on 2 2/3 scoreless in the postseason.
After another year and a half in the Atlanta bullpen, Avilán was moved to the Dodgers in a massive 13-player, three-team 2015 deadline deal that also sent Alex Wood to Los Angeles. Avilán spent two and a half years in Southern California. He saw postseason action in both 2015 and ’16 before pitching to a 2.93 ERA over 46 regular season innings in 2017.
Going into the following season, Avilán was involved in another three-team deal. This one — orchestrated between the White Sox, Dodgers and Royals — landed him in Chicago. He’d pitch for five teams over the next four seasons, suiting up with the White Sox, Phillies, both New York franchises and Nationals. His 2021 campaign with Washington was cut short after four outings by an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
That ultimately brought his major league career to an end. Avilán re-signed with the Nats on a minor league deal last year, spending the bulk of the season in Triple-A. He was out of professional baseball entirely this past season and, at age 34, has decided to step away.
Avilán concludes with a 3.43 ERA in 354 major league innings. He recorded 319 strikeouts and kept the ball on the ground for just under half the batted balls he allowed. A situational lefty, he collected 85 holds while limiting same-handed batters to a .204/.279/.281 slash line through nearly 700 plate appearances. MLBTR congratulates Avilán on a decade-long run in the majors and sends our best wishes in his post-playing days.
Congrats Luis, 10 years in the majors is no joke. Now go open a Chi-Chis and enjoy retired life.
Does Chi-Chi’s still exist, why would he want to open one, and how would running a restaurant be enjoying retired life?
Watched him pitch a lot in a Braves uniform. Best of luck, Luis
Luis, we barely knew thee!
Never heard of him, but 10 years is a hell of a ride, and so more than what most of us could ever dream of. You lived the life, man. Congratulations!
Loogys are a dying breed but they lasted a long time in the bigs because of that.
10 years in the bigs, my man. Much respect and congrats on a nice career.
Please don’t remind Braves fans about that ugly Hector Olivera trade.
Hes one of those relievers where his numbers look good but he blows almost every close game he pitches in
That might just be your selective memory.
The guy made it to the majors and did well enough with the Dodgers to make me happy when I think of his body of work. Not everyone can be a hall of famer like all the writers in this comment section.
Just saw his name on the career postseason era leaderboard. 0 runs given up in 11 games.
Who?
Someone much more famous than Tom Price.
“He was out of professional baseball entirely this past season and, at age 34, has decided to step away.”
Commas should never go AFTER “and.” The only one in this sentence should be after “34.” MLBTR needs better proofreaders… if they even bother to employ any. Which it seems like they don’t.
After a bit of time once he came up with Atlanta. Late great Don Sutton on Braves radio would sing his name to the tune of “Feliz Navidad”. Every time after when I’d see or hear Luis’s name, I sing it in that tune.