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Steve Cishek To Retire

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Relief pitcher Steve Cishek is retiring. “It’s time,” Cishek tells Rich Maclone of The Bourne Enterprise. “It’s gotten harder for me to bounce back game-to-game. The ball wasn’t coming out as crisp as before, and it felt like I had to pitch differently. I know I’ll get the bug and want to get back out there, but I don’t think I’m pulling a Tom Brady.”

Cishek was drafted by the Marlins in 2007 and eventually made his major league debut with them in 2010. He only got to pitch 4 1/3 innings that year but got a more substantial showing in the following season. He made 45 appearances in 2008, tossing 54 2/3 frames with a 2.63 ERA, 24% strikeout rate, 8.3% walk rate and 56.8% ground ball rate.

Cishek worked his way up to high-leverage spots, recording three saves and a couple of holds in that 2008 campaign. He followed that up with 15 saves in 2009 and then got 34 and 39 in the two following years. Giving hitters fits with his sidearm delivery, Cishek was able to both get strikeouts and ground ball at above-average rates, a difficult combination to pull off.

In 2015, he was traded from the Marlins to the Cardinals after spending parts of six seasons in Miami. He would go into journeyman mode from there, spending time with the Mariners, Rays, Cubs, White Sox, Angels and Nationals. He pitched in 13 MLB seasons from 2010 to 2022.

In Cishek’s career, he got into 737 games, tossing 710 2/3 innings with a 2.98 ERA. He struck out 24.8% of the batters he faced and got grounders on 48.3% of balls in play. He recorded 133 saves, 109 holds and 33 wins. MLBTR congratulates him on a fine career and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Thomas Eshelman Takes Coaching Job With Padres

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Right-hander Thomas Eshelman announced his retirement after eight professional seasons, and the former Orioles hurler is now moving into the coaching ranks as a pitching coach in the Padres organization.

“Officially on the other side of the fence,” the 28-year-old Eshelman wrote as part of his official statement on his Twitter feed.  “I’ve been blessed to be able to play the game I love for so long and I’m excited to share the things that I’ve learned and will continue to learn with the generations to come.”

The right-hander only appeared with the Orioles at the MLB level, posting a 5.77 ERA over 98 1/3 innings with Baltimore during the 2019-21 seasons.  However, Eshelman was a member of four different organizations during his career, beginning with the Astros when Houston selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft.  He only lasted a few months in Houston, as the Astros dealt Eshelman to the Phillies that offseason as part of a memorable seven-player deal.  That same swap saw Ken Giles land in Houston, while Vince Velasquez and former first overall pick Mark Appel were among the players who joined Eshelman in Philadelphia.

Eshelman was traded to Baltimore in June 2019, which gave the right-hander his first crack at the majors.  Working mostly as a starter in the minors, Eshelman became a swingman with the O’s, getting some starts in the rotation and otherwise acting in a multi-inning relief role.  Eshelman was designated for assignment several times over his three years with the Orioles, and departed the team for good when he signed a minors deal with the Padres last winter.  In what ended up as his final pro season, Eshelman had 5.76 ERA over 114 combined innings with San Diego’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates.

Eshelman hails from Carlsbad, California and played his college ball at Cal State-Fullerton.  As he noted in his Twitter statement, his “next journey in this game I love” will come with his “hometown team,” giving him an ideal environment to begin his coaching endeavors.  MLBTR congratulates Eshelman on his playing career and we wish him all the best in the coaching ranks.

Rick Porcello Announces Retirement

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Former American League Cy Young winner Rick Porcello seemingly stepped away from baseball with scarcely a word about his decision to do so following the 2020 season, but in a new appearance on the Bradfo Sho with WEEI’s Rob Bradford, the 33-year-old righty publicly confirmed for the first time that he has indeed retired.

Rick Porcello

“I wanted to be with my family,” said Porcello, who also tells Bradford that he and his brother built a house together in the two years since he’s last taken a big league mound. “I wanted to get back into that type of lifestyle and be around them because every year that you’re gone is another year where your parents are getting older, and your brothers are getting older.”

Porcello acknowledged that his struggles in his final two Major League seasons muted interest during the 2020-21 offseason, though it’s known that he at least drew some interest in a potential reunion with the Tigers that winter. No deal ever materialized, however, and Porcello has now apparently opted to dedicate his time and efforts to his family and to helping grow youth baseball in Vermont, where he and his brother built their aforementioned home. In addition to the full audio of the interview, Bradford has several lengthy quotes from Porcello on his decision to retire, on his struggles in 2019-20, on building that house and on his commitment to youth baseball in his column at WEEI.

Though his final game came in his age-31 season, Porcello still pitched a dozen full seasons in the Majors, thanks largely to the fact that he debuted as a 20-year-old rookie less than two years after the Tigers selected him with the No. 27 overall pick in the draft. Porcello finished third in 2009’s American League Rookie of the Year voting on the heels of a 3.96 ERA that he spun over the life of 170 2/3 innings.

Porcello was briefly optioned to Triple-A Toledo the following summer but otherwise never returned to the minors and practically never missed a start due to injury. The right-hander landed on the injured list just once in his 12-year career — a three-week absence due to a minor triceps strain in Aug. 2015. Porcello was the consummate workhorse, averaging 31 starts and 185 innings per season from 2009-19. He worked to a 4.36 ERA in 2037 1/3 innings along the way, and for a few years in the midst of that span, he peaked as one of baseball’s better pitchers.

At age 25 in 2014, Porcello enjoyed a breakout season, tallying a then-career-high 204 2/3 innings with a 3.43 ERA. Strikeouts were never a big part of the sinker specialist’s game, but Porcello thrived that season due to a tiny 4.9% walk rate, a strong 49% grounder rate and an average of just 0.79 homers per nine innings pitched. The Tigers, looking for some extra punch in their lineup, traded Porcello to the Red Sox in a deal that netted Yoenis Cespedes, Gabe Speier and Alex Wilson at the 2014 Winter Meetings, when both Porcello and Cespedes were just a season away from free agency.

However, Boston apparently had little intent of simply “renting” Porcello for a year, as the Sox inked him to a four-year, $82.5MM contract extension that spring. Porcello’s first season at Fenway set off alarm bells, as he tied a career-worst 4.92 ERA. The red flags disappeared when he not only rebounded in 2016 but shattered all of his career rate stats en route to a 3.15 ERA, an MLB-best 5.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a narrow win over former teammate Justin Verlander in 2016 American League Cy Young voting.

That season proved to be Porcello’s individual peak, but Porcello called the 2018 season “the crowning achievement in my career” due to a more team-oriented accolade, as he and the Red Sox shook off a pair of ALDS exits in 2016-17 to take home a World Series title. Porcello started 28 games for the ’18 Red Sox and pitched to a 4.28 ERA, adding 15 1/3 frames of 3.52 ERA ball in the postseason that year — including a Game 4, series-clinching ALDS victory at Yankee Stadium in which he held Boston’s archrivals to one run in five strong innings.

The following season, 2019, marked the beginning of the end for Porcello’s run in the Majors. He was tagged for a 5.52 ERA in 174 1/3 innings before heading out into free agency and signing a one-year deal with the Mets. True to form, he took the ball every fifth day for the Mets during the pandemic-shortened season and started a dozen of their 60 games, but Porcello’s struggles continued as he logged a 5.64 ERA in 59 innings.

In chatting with Bradford, Porcello acknowledged unsuccessfully trying to keep up with leaguewide changes that saw four-seam fastballs and sliders become increasingly en vogue; indeed, he threw a career-high 31.1% four-seamers and career-low 24.5% sinkers in 2019, and in 2020 he threw a career-high 29.2% sliders. None of those tweaks worked in his favor, and Porcello added that the pandemic afforded him “new perspective on life” and played a role in his decision to prioritize time spent with family rather than seek out a rebound campaign on the mound.

Though he’s retired at a young age, Porcello accomplished plenty in his 12 big league seasons. He’ll walk away from the game with a 150-125 record, a 4.40 ERA, 1561 strikeouts and just 489 walks in 2096 1/3 big league innings (plus another 40 innings of 4.73 ERA ball in the playoffs). Porcello was a top-three Rookie of the Year finisher, a Cy Young winner and a World Series champion in a career that FanGraphs valued at 29.6 wins above replacement. Between his original contract out of the draft (back when MLB deals were allowed for draftees), his arbitration earnings, his Red Sox extension and his Mets free-agent deal, Porcello earned more than $128MM. Best wishes to Porcello and his family in life after baseball.

Jason Castro Announces Retirement

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Catcher Jason Castro took to Twitter today to announce he is retiring from major league baseball. The veteran spent parts of 12 seasons in the big leagues with the Astros, Twins, Angels and Padres. “Over the last 15 years of pro ball, I have been blessed with many incredible opportunities and have met so many people along the way that helped me achieve more than I could have ever imagined,” Castro said, before going on to thank all of the people who supported him along the way.

Castro was selected by the Astros out of Stanford with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 draft. He was considered one of the top 100 prospects in the game by Baseball America in 2009 and 2010, making his MLB debut in the latter season. Prospect evaluations at that time spoke highly of his defense and approach at the plate but questioned whether he would provide much power in the big leagues. During Spring Training in 2011, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a damaged meniscus, leading to him missing that entire season.

Once recovered, Castro got things back on track in 2012 and truly established himself in 2013, with that now seeming like the best season of his career. An All-Star that year, he hit 18 home runs, a number he was never able to match again. His final batting line on the year was .276/.350/.485, good enough for a wRC+ of 129, indicating he was 29% better than the league average hitter. When combined with his strong defensive work, he was worth 3.9 wins above replacement in the eyes of FanGraphs, the highest such total he ever managed.

In subsequent seasons, Castro settled in as a bit of a defensive specialist but one that wouldn’t be disastrous at the plate. From 2014 to 2017, his wRC+ fell between 80 and 94 in each campaign, fairly average for a backstop. When combined with his solid glovework, he was worth between 2.1 and 2.8 fWAR in each of those four seasons.

Between 2016 and 2017, Castro signed a three-year, $24.5MM contract with the Twins. As mentioned, the first year of that deal saw Castro continue as a solid glove-first backstop. However, injuries took a toll from there on out. In May of 2018, he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee and had to undergo season-ending surgery. Though he continued to be a competent major leaguer, 2017 was the last season in which he played more than 80 games.

After spending some time with the Angels and Padres, Castro returned to where it all began by signing a two-year deal with the Astros prior to 2021. In August of this year, he required season-ending knee surgery, meaning that he wasn’t active for the club’s World Series victory. Nonetheless, it was a nice finishing touch for Castro’s career. As he says at the end of his retirement announcement, “What a way to end it.”

Castro hangs up his spikes with 952 games played, 678 hits, 166 doubles, 9 triples, 97 home runs, 368 runs scored, 328 runs batted in and 15.2 fWAR. MLBTR commends him on a fine career and wishes him the best in his post-playing endeavors.

Albert Pujols Officially Files For Retirement

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Future Hall of Fame slugger Albert Pujols has officially signed his retirement papers today, ending his glittering 22-year career, per Mark Feisand of MLB.com. Pujols had already announced 2022 would be his final season, but after a resurgent final year for the Cardinals this news confirms he won’t be back.

Pujols will go down as one of the sport’s greatest sluggers, having mashed 703 home runs over his career, which included three MVP awards and eleven trips to the All Star game. The 42-year-old enjoyed a stunning final season in St Louis, the city he spent much of his career, hitting .270/.345/.550 with 24 home runs, enough to become just the fourth player in history to join the 700-club.

Pujols was drafted in the 13th round of the 1999 draft by the Cardinals, and made his debut in 2001. He began mashing immediately, hitting .329/.403/.610 with 37 home runs on the way to a Rookie of the Year award and a fourth place finish in NL MVP voting. That would set the tone for one of the great slugging careers, as Pujols continued to terrorize National League pitchers over the next decade in St Louis. Between 2001-10, Pujols never finished a season with a batting average under .300 or a home run total under 30, and only had one sub-.400 OBP season. Over his first eleven seasons with the Cardinals, he amassed a staggering 86.6 bWAR, and firmly entrenched himself as a St Louis legend and a great of the sport.

He inked an extension with the Cardinals in 2004 for $111MM which proved extremely good business for the team, and delayed his free agency until after the 2011 season. Once on the open market, it was the Angels who secured his coveted signature, landing him on a ten-year, $240MM deal after the Cardinals topped out at a nine-year deal. At the time, it was the third largest contract in MLB history. While Pujols had a few years of strong production which earned him down ballot MVP votes, the deal was mostly a disappointment for the Halos and he was never the offensive juggernaut he was in St Louis. Pujols hit just .256/.311/.447 across ten years in Anaheim and was worth just 12.8 bWAR there.

The Angels finally cut ties with him in early in the 2021 season, and he landed with the Dodgers for the remainder of the year. There was speculation he’d retire after the 2021 campaign, but the Cardinals opted to bring him back for a $2.5MM farewell season, and he didn’t disappoint. He’ll be a favorite for NL Comeback Player of the Year and along with the pending retirement of fellow Cardinals’ legend Yadier Molina made 2022 a memorable season in St Louis.

His resurgent final season helped the Cardinals make the playoffs in 2022, but his career came to a close in a series loss at the hands of the Phillies in the wildcard round. Pujols didn’t hit much in that short series, but he was a dominant force in playoff fixtures over his career. In 88 post-season matches, he hit 19 home runs amid a .319/.422/.572 slashline. That included a combined four World Series home runs during the Cardinals’ championship years of 2006 and 2011.

While the formal confirmation of Pujols’ retirement is not a surprise, it does draw to a close the career of one of the sport’s great players. He’ll assuredly wind up in Cooperstown, but in the meantime, everyone at MLB Trade Rumors congratulates Pujols on his memorable career and wish him the best in retirement.

Brock Holt Announces Retirement

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Utility-man Brock Holt has announced his retirement from the game after ten years in the major leagues in a post on Instagram. Holt spent seven seasons with the Red Sox, but also had stints with the Pirates, Brewers, Nationals and Rangers during his career. He retires with a career .262/.332/.362 slash line and 25 home runs across 751 games.

“Today I hang them up knowing I did the best I could for me, my family, and my teammates. I’m proud of every single second of it.” Holt wrote.

Drafted in the ninth-round of the 2009 draft by the Pirates, Holt made his MLB debut in Pittsburgh in 2012. He appeared in a handful of games that year before the Pirates shipped him and closer Joel Hanrahan to the Red Sox in the Mark Melancon deal. In 2014 he established his value in Boston, appearing in 106 games and hitting .281/.331/.381 while logging time at every position bar pitcher and catcher. Having not accrued enough plate appearances during the previous two seasons, Holt was eligible for rookie of the year honors that year, and finished eighth in AL voting.

Holt continued to provide value to the Red Sox, earning an All-Star game selection in 2015 and appearing in eight games during Boston’s World Series-winning postseason in 2018. In the final two years before free agency, Holt hit .286/.366/.407 in 662 plate appearances and set himself up to do nicely on the open market.

That wasn’t to be though, and Holt signed with the Brewers late in the winter prior to the 2020 campaign. After the pandemic-induced delay to that season, Holt hit just .100/.222/.100 in 36 plate appearances and was designated for assignment. He bounced around the majors a bit after that, spending time with the Nationals in late-2020, before playing for the Rangers during the 2021 campaign. Holt inked a minor league deal with the Braves prior to the 2022 season, but was released after failing to make the opening day roster.

We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Holt on his career in the majors, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Eduardo Nunez Announces Retirement

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Former major league infielder Eduardo Nunez announced his retirement from professional baseball today in a post to his Instagram. “Today, it is with mixed emotions that I officially announce my retirement from professional baseball,” Nunez wrote. “I had the opportunity of a lifetime to play the game I love for more than a decade while competing for five amazing MLB teams.”

Nunez, 35, played for the Yankees, Twins, Giants, Red Sox, and Mets during a career that spanned 11 seasons in the majors. His last season in the majors was 2020, when he appeared in two games for the Mets. He played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League in 2021 and did not play professionally during the 2022 season.

He made his major league debut with the Yankees in 2010, the first of four seasons spent in a utility role in their uniform. During his time in the Bronx, Nunez slashed .267/.313/.379 (86 wRC+) in 270 games while logging time at second base, third base, shortstop, and both outfield corners. Nunez’s career as a member of the Yankees ended when he was traded to Minnesota in 2014, where his career would begin to improve, with the highlight of his Twins tenure being the 2016 season that earned Nunez not only his only career All-Star appearance, but a deadline trade to the Giants. That season, he slashed .288/.325/.432 (101 wRC+) while splitting time between second base, third base, and shortstop.

Nunez would remain with the Giants until the following year’s trade deadline, when he would be swapped to the Red Sox. He re-signed with Boston during the 2017-18 offseason, and split time between second and third base while batting .265/.289/.388 (78 wRC+) in 127 games as the Red Sox won 108 games en route to a World Series championship. Nunez remained with Boston in 2019, appearing in 60 games before being designated for assignment in July.

Altogether, Nunez spent parts of 17 seasons playing professional baseball and batted .276/.310/.404 (90 wRC+) in his 3008 major league plate appearances, collecting 776 hits, 142 stolen bases, and 1136 total bases along the way. MLBTR wishes Nunez the best in his future pursuits now that his playing career has officially come to a close.

Josh Reddick Planning To Retire After Stint In Australia

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Former Gold Glove outfielder Josh Reddick has decided to retire from Major League Baseball. The veteran told Mark Berman of Fox 26 and other reporters that he will stop pursuing a MLB career (Twitter link). Reddick announced in May he’d play for the Perth Heat during the 2022-23 Australian Baseball League season that starts in November. After that wraps up, he says, “that’ll be it for me.”

Originally picked by Boston in the 17th round of the 2006 draft, Reddick made his debut for the Red Sox in the July of 2009. He bounced between Boston and Triple-A Pawtucket before being traded to the Oakland A’s during the 2011-12 offseason. Reddick got his first opportunity to start on a MLB roster in 2012 and ran with it, posting a career high 32 home runs and 85 RBIs, earning a Gold Glove, and picking up a few MVP votes to go with it.

Reddick played three more full seasons for Oakland during which he accumulated a .747 OPS over 372 games. At the 2016 trade deadline, he and Rich Hill were flipped to the Dodgers in exchange for a package that included Frankie Montas, where he helped Los Angeles advance to the NLCS. The next offseason, Reddick reached free agency and signed a four-year deal with the Astros worth $52MM, where he made an immediate impact. He slashed .314/.363/.484 in his first season with the Astros, playing a huge role in Houston’s 2017 championship run.

Reddick spent three more full seasons with the Astros before joining the Diamondbacks on a one-year deal for 2021. After Arizona released him in early August, he spent three weeks at the Mets’ Triple-A Syracuse before being released.

In February of 2021, Reddick took his career to Mexico and spent a summer with the Acereros de Monclova, with whom he hit .293 in 28 games. Today, Reddick was on hand for Game 1 of the ALCS in Houston, where he told reporters he was “frustrated, upset” because he feels like he has “plenty of talent to be out there playing (in the majors).” He continued on to say that his time with the Acereros was his last attempt at returning to MLB. Reddick will be one of the biggest names to ever play in the ABL, where he’ll join a Heat team that includes two former MLB pitchers in Zac Reininger and Warwick Saupold.

In over 4879 Major League plate appearances across parts of thirteen big league seasons, Reddick slashed .262/.321/.426. He accumulated 24.7 bWAR, hit 146 home runs, drove in 575 and scored 597 times. He banked north of $66MM in career earnings, according to Baseball Reference. MLBTR congratulates Reddick on his lengthy, successful career and wishes him all the best in his retirement.

Dustin Garneau Announces Retirement

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Former major league catcher Dustin Garneau took to Twitter this afternoon to announce his retirement. “Hanging them up. Thank you to everyone who had an impact on my career,” Garneau wrote. “To my wife for always being by my side through the ups and downs. To my agent (Marc Kligman) for always being there and making me a part of your family as well. And to my friends and family who were by my side.”

A 19th-round pick of the Rockies in the 2009 draft, Garneau reached the majors for the first time six years later. The Cal State Fullerton product broke into the big leagues just after his 28th birthday in August 2015. It marked the first of eight straight years in which he’d get to the highest level. Garneau was a prototypical depth catcher, never appearing in more than 41 MLB games in a season but donning six different uniforms along the way.

After two seasons in Colorado, Garneau bounced to the A’s on waivers. He’d find himself in the transactions logs fairly frequently thereafter, moving to the White Sox, Angels, back to the A’s and Astros through 2020. He returned to the Rockies on a minor league deal in 2021 but was dealt to the Tigers, with whom he spent the past couple seasons. That included eight games early this season, but he spent most of the year in Triple-A before reaching minor league free agency last week.

Altogether, Garneau appeared in 168 major league games. He hit .205/.285/.373 over 506 plate appearances, connecting on 15 home runs and 28 doubles. Six of those longballs came in a 20-game stint with Detroit in 2021. Over parts of eight Triple-A campaigns, the righty-swinging backstop was a .248/.329/.480 hitter. He played parts of 14 professional seasons. Best wishes to Garneau in all the best in his post-playing endeavors.

Report: Tony La Russa Expected To Announce Retirement On Monday

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White Sox manager Tony La Russa is expected to announce his retirement tomorrow, according to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today. La Russa, who turns 78 years old on Tuesday, has been absent from the team since late August due to a medical issue.

La Russa had previously retired from managing in 2011 after having spent more than 30 years as a skipper for the White Sox, Athletics and Cardinals, beginning in 1979. Then after a decade out of the manager’s chair, the White Sox made the stunning decision to bring him back for the 2021 season.

His first season out of retirement went very well, with the Sox going 93-69 last year and capturing the AL Central division title. However, it’s been a sharp downward turn here in 2022, with the club currently sporting a record of 78-80 and well out of playoff contention. La Russa faced some sharp criticism earlier this year with some bizarre managerial decisions, perhaps the most infamous example being his decision to issue an intentional walk to Trea Turner despite Turner behind in the count 1-2. In the left-on-left matchup La Russa desired, Max Muncy hit a three-run home run off Bennett Sousa, enhancing the frustration of fans and the scrutiny on La Russa’s decision making.

It was reported in June that La Russa was given a three-year contract when hired, meaning his deal runs through 2023. However, it seems that his health issues will prevent him from honoring the final season. He stepped away from the team after missing their August 30 game due to an undisclosed medical issue, related to his heart. Nightengale’s report from today says that La Russa had his pacemaker repaired at that time and has now been advised to not return to a managerial position. The report says La Russa is likely to stick with the organization in some kind of special assistant role that presumably won’t involve as much work on a day-to-day basis.

For the White Sox, they will now have to add a managerial search to their offseason to-do list. One option would be to simply retain Miguel Cairo, who took over on an interim basis when La Russa departed just over a month ago. As noted by Nightengale, the club went 13-6 over his first few weeks at the helm but slumped badly since. They followed up that stretch with an eight-game losing streak, helping them go 2-9 over their last 11 and 15-15 overall since Cairo took over.

However, if they decide to look outside the organization, they would be the sixth out of the 30 MLB clubs looking to fill a vacancy. Don Mattingly and the Marlins recently announced that they would be mutually parting ways after this season, while the Blue Jays, Phillies, Angels and Rangers all fired their managers midseason. It’s possible some of those clubs might forgo a lengthy search in favour of retaining their interim manager, with the Blue Jays reportedly leaning that way with John Schneider.

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