Mike Olt Announces Retirement
Corner infielder Mike Olt has announced on Instagram that his playing career is over. The former first-round pick hangs up his spikes at 31 years of age.
Olt was once considered one of the game’s thirty or so best prospects, but never quite panned out. Eyesight issues likely played a significant role in preventing Olt from reaching his ceiling.
After coming up through the Rangers system, and briefly cracking the bigs in 2012, Olt was shipped to the Cubs as part of the 2013 Matt Garza trade. He ended up taking four hundred MLB plate appearances over three seasons, slashing just .168/.250/.330.
Olt has tried to push his way back into the majors over the past four seasons but failed to gain traction. He appeared briefly in 2019 in the Atlantic League and Mexican League. MLBTR wishes Olt all the best in the future.
Michael Saunders Retires, Will Manage Braves’ Minor League Affiliate
Veteran outfielder Michael Saunders has announced his retirement as a player, telling Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that he’ll hang up his spikes after suiting up next month for Team Canada as it attempts to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. Saunders did not play professionally in 2019 — his first season of inactivity since he kicked off his minor-league career in 2005.
With the end of his playing career now firmly in sight, Saunders is moving onto the next phase of his baseball journey. The 32-year-old revealed that the Braves have named him the manager of their Rookie-level affiliate in the Appalachian League.
Originally selected in the 11th round of the 2004 draft, Saunders moved steadily up the ranks of the Mariners farm system and debuted in the majors in 2009 at 22 years of age. Saunders struggled to gain traction until 2012, when he kicked off a three-year run over which he slashed .248/.320/.423 (111 OPS+) in 1,284 plate appearances.
After being swapped to the Blue Jays, Saunders endured an injury-crushed 2015 campaign before turning in his best full season in the majors in the ensuing year. Over 558 plate appearances in 2016, Saunders launched 24 home runs and turned in a strong .253/.338/.478 batting line.
Unfortunately, the bulk of the damage he did in 2016 came in the first half of the year. That earned Saunders an All-Star nod but also meant that he hit the open market with a questionable outlook, ultimately landing a $9MM guarantee from the Phillies on a one-year deal with a club option. He ended up falling well shy of expectations and was cut loose mid-season.
Saunders appeared briefly again with the Blue Jays late in 2017 but hasn’t been back in the majors since. He signed minors deals with the Pirates, Royals, Orioles, White Sox, and Rockies — appearing at the top affiliates of the Baltimore and Chicago organizations in 2018 — but was unable to generate positive momentum.
Ultimately, Saunders wraps up his playing career with at least some time in nine MLB campaigns. Over 2,747 career plate appearances, he carried a .232/.305/.397 batting line. MLBTR wishes Saunders well in his new pursuit.
CC Sabathia Retires
CC Sabathia announced his retirement this morning on Twitter. Obviously, this comes as no surprise, as the entire season served as Sabathia’s retirement tour.
Sabathia first appeared in the majors as a 20-year-old rookie way back in 2001 for the Cleveland Indians. In a career spanning 19 seasons, Sabathia finished with 251 wins across 560 starts, compiling a 3.74 ERA/3.78 FIP, 3,577 1/3 innings, 3,093 strikeouts, summed to 63.0 bWAR/66.5 fWAR. It was certainly an impressive career for Sabathia, who pitched for the Indians, Brewers, and Yankees.
Sabathia won a World Series with the 2009 Yankees and made 6 All-Star teams. He won the Cy Young award for the Indians in 2007 after going 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA/3.14 FIP across a league-leading 241 innings. Sabathia ranks 16th all-time in strikeouts (3,093), 37th in pitcher fWAR (66.5), and 48th in wins (251). 68.75% of MLBTR readers believe Sabathia put together a Hall of Fame career.
It certainly didn’t finish in an optimal fashion, leaving the ALCS due to injury, but Sabathia appears to have no qualms about finishing out his career. He released a retirement statement with a tweet that that read simply, “Thank you, Baseball.”
David Freese Announces Retirement
David Freese announced his retirement from baseball today.
Freese is of course most well known for his unassailable performance in the 2011 postseason for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Missouri native improbably knocked a two-out, two-run triple for his hometown team in the bottom of the ninth of game six to keep the Cardinals alive. Then just for kicks, he went ahead and won it with a walk-off home run leading off the 11th inning to force game seven. Not to outdo himself, but when the Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first of game seven, Freese responded in the bottom half with a game-tying 2-run double. It is not an understatement to put Freese’s 2011 among the most clutch and dramatically interesting performances in baseball history.
His postseason heroics were not anomalous to 2011, however, as in 230 career postseason plate appearances spanning 69 games, Freese hit .299/.370/.549 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs for the Cardinals, Angels, and Dodgers. In terms of win probability added, Freese’s 2011 World Series performance ranks second all-time only to Willie Aikens for the 1980 Kansas City Royals, who hit four home runs with a .538 OBP in six games against the Phillies.
In terms of regular season achievement, Freese was a more modest performer. He holds a career batting line of .277/.351/.423 with 113 home runs in 1,184 games for the Cardinals, Angels, Pirates, and Dodgers. He only once hit more than 15 home runs in a season, and he handled the transition into part-time player with aplomb. As much as he was an extra man for the Dodgers the last two seasons, given their lack of obvious need at first and third base, his retirement is nonetheless a blow for the Dodgers coming off their defeat in the NLDS. It is not so much his skillset they will miss, not with Justin Turner, Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger on hand at the corners, but his personage, as all indications point to Freese as a class-act, veteran leader, and as mentioned, a singular clutch performer. If there were such a thing as a postseason specialist, Freese would be the mold.
Brian McCann Announces Retirement
Seven-time All-Star catcher Brian McCann is planning to retire this offseason, he announced to reporters following the conclusion of today’s NLDS loss to the Cardinals (Twitter link, with video, via FOX Sports Southwest). “It’s time to go,” said McCann when asked about his decision. “Fifteen years of catching — it’s sad, but it’s time. I knew about a month and a half ago.”
After spending three seasons with the Yankees and two with the Astros, the 35-year-old McCann returned to the Braves on a one-year deal this past offseason. It was homecoming in more ways than one, as the Athens, Ga. native and Duluth High School grad was the Braves’ second-round pick back in 2002. The opportunity to return to his hometown and suit up for one more ride with the next generation of Braves stars was a significant factor in his decision to sign with Atlanta in the winter, McCann added.
“That’s a big reason I wanted to come back,” he said. “I wanted to be a part of this again — put this uniform back on, play in front of my family every night. That was a big reason. … Fifteen years is a long time, catching every day. And I got to do it in my hometown.”
Following that 2002 draft, McCann quickly ascended to top prospect status and made his big league debut with the Braves in 2005. He’d ultimately go on to wear a Braves uniform for 10 of his 15 excellent MLB seasons. A six-time Silver Slugger winner, McCann enjoyed 10 seasons in which he tallied 20 or more home runs throughout his big league career. He’ll hang ’em up with a lifetime .262/.337/.452 batting line, 282 home runs, 1018 RBIs, 742 runs scored and 294 doubles.
McCann never won a Gold Glove but was considered a quality defender for much of his career, finishing at 297 of 1194 in throwing out base thieves (25 percent) and with a total of 26 Defensive Runs Saved. He never did much damage during the postseason but did manage a few key home runs, and he of course took home a World Series ring as the primary catcher for the 2017 World Series Champion Astros.
Former teammates have already begun to heap praise onto McCann — perceived by many onlookers as a gruff enforcer but widely beloved by the players with whom he shared a clubhouse. Lance McCullers Jr. (link) and Chipper Jones (link) are among those to offer heartfelt praise for the 15-year veteran’s contributions to their clubs.
McCann earned more than $128MM in salary over the course of his career and will be remembered as one of the finest and most durable catchers of his generation. His 282 career home runs trail only Mike Piazza, Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, Lance Parrish and Ivan Rodriguez among catchers — all of whom other than Parrish have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Best wishes to “B-Mac” in his post-playing days.
Steve Pearce Considering Retirement
Hero and MVP of the 2018 World Series Steve Pearce is considering retirement, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe.
Last season ended in storybook fashion for the long-time role player as he turned in a historic performance for his favorite team from childhood, the Boston Red Sox. The 36-year-old was acquired from the Blue Jays in June mostly to serve as a right-handed option at first base, but he reached another gear at the biggest time of the year. In five games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pearce went 4-12 with a .500 OBP, 3 home runs, and 8 RBIs in earning MVP honors.
As incredible as last season ended, however, this season was an equal disaster. In just 29 games, Pearce turned in a miserable .180/.245/.258 line worth -0.6 bWAR, last appearing at the end of May while suffering from back and knee injuries. Pearce was just one part of the topsy-turvy season in Boston, though his reversal-of-fortune was perhaps the most extreme.
Pearce holds a career line of .254/.332/.440 while playing parts of 13 seasons for the Pirates, Orioles, Astros, Yankees, Rays, Blue Jays, and Red Sox, notably appearing in uniform for all five teams in the AL East. On his potential retirement, Pearce said, “I would have liked to have gone out a little bit different. If this year was a little bit different. But that’s baseball. That’s why it’s the most beautiful game in the world.”
Ned Yost Announces Retirement
Royals manager Ned Yost will officially retire following the completion of the 2019 season, the team announced today in a press release. He’ll finish his career with the most victories in Royals franchise history and is the only Royals manager to ever make consecutive World Series appearances. Yost issued the following statement in today’s release:
“With the development of our young players and our returning veterans, I feel and hope the worst is behind us in this rebuilding phase of our organization. My plan all along was to get us through the rough times then turn it over to a new manager to bring us the rest of the way. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here as your manager and will never forget the good and the hard times we had together as an organization and a fan base.
I will never forget the fact that you fans supported us through it all. Kansas City will always have a special place in my heart, and I look forward to rooting for the Royals on to their next World Championship very soon.”
Yost, 65, has managed the Royals since the 2010 season, logging a collective 744-836 record in that time. Prior to that, he’d spent parts of six seasons skippering the Brewers, with whom he won 457 games. Overall, Yost will complete his managerial career with a 1201-1338 record, two American League pennants and one World Series title. He’s 32nd all-time in total games managed at the MLB level, and his current total of 1201 wins ranks 45th — though he’ll have the opportunity to tack on a few more victories and six more games managed between now and Sunday’s farewell game.
Yost’s retirement has been widely expected, as the skipper himself has hinted in the past that he isn’t likely to see a rebuild all the way through. There’s no firm word yet on a successor to Yost, of course, but it was speculated last November when the Royals hired former Cardinals skipper Mike Matheny as a special advisor that he was a strong candidate to take the reins following Yost’s retirement. The Royals won’t make any formal announcement on the matter for now. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that Matheny is indeed “expected” to be the team’s next manager, but MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports that the Royals have yet to commit to Matheny as the new manager (Twitter link).
Of course, even if that was the plan last November, much has changed in the Royals organization since Matheny’s hire. Owner David Glass has agreed to sell the team to Kansas City entrepreneur John Sherman, and while it’s been reported that general manager Dayton Moore will receive a contract extension once the new ownership regime formally takes over, it’s not as clear that the new owners will have the same vision for the manager and his coaching staff.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/26/19
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- Former major league utilityman Ty Kelly retired over the weekend, he humorously announced on Twitter (h/t: Jon Heyman of MLB Network). Kelly ended his career as a member of the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake after signing a minor league contract with the organization last winter. A 13th-round pick of the Orioles in 2009, Kelly ultimately saw major league action with the Mets and Phillies from 2016-18 – a 188-plate appearance span in which he batted .203/.288/.323 and racked up time at first, second, third and all three outfield positions. The 31-year-old wrapped up his Triple-A tenure with a .268/.368/.382 line across 2,353 trips to the plate.
Danny Farquhar Retires
Right-hander Danny Farquhar has announced his retirement, via his Instagram page. Hanging up his glove after playing in parts of seven Major League seasons, Farquhar will now move into coaching, as he’ll start work next week as a minor league pitching instructor for the White Sox, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.
Farquhar attempted a comeback this season in the form of a minor league contract with the Yankees, though the 32-year-old was released in June after a brief stint at Triple-A.
“When the Yankees released me, we drove across the country from Scranton to California, you have a lot of time to reflect and you realize it’s time to move on and move on to the next stage in my career, which I’ve been talking about. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for some time now,” Farquhar told Van Schouwen.
Farquhar was able to at least get back onto a mound and end his career on his own terms, following a terrifying incident on April 20, 2018. Farquhar had just completed a relief outing for the White Sox when he suffered a brain hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm, causing him to collapse in the team’s dugout. After being rushed to hospital for emergency surgery, Farquhar’s life was saved, and he was fortunately able to return home less than a month later. After sitting out the remainder of the 2018 season to fully recuperate, Farquhar received medical clearance to continue playing, which led to his minors deal with New York.
Originally a tenth-round pick for the Blue Jays in the 2008 draft, Farquhar posted a 3.93 ERA, 10.2 K/9, and 2.92 K/BB over 272 1/3 innings in the big leagues. The bulk of those innings came with the Mariners from 2013-15, including an outstanding 2014 campaign that saw Farquhar deliver a 2.66 ERA over 71 frames. Farquhar also pitched for the Blue Jays, Rays and White Sox at the MLB level, as well as stints in the minors with the Yankees and Athletics.
We at MLB Trade Rumors wish Farquhar congratulations on a nice career, and wish him all the best in his coaching endeavors.
Troy Tulowitzki Announces Retirement
Veteran shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has announced his retirement after 13 Major League seasons. His full statement, as per a Yankees media release:
“I wanted to take this opportunity to announce my retirement as a Major League Baseball player.
For as long as I can remember, my dream was to compete at the highest level as a Major League Baseball Player … to wear a big league uniform and play hard for my teammates and the fans. I will forever be grateful for every day that I’ve had to live out my dream. It has been an absolute honor.
I will always look back with tremendous gratitude for having the privilege of playing as long as I did. There is no way to truly express my gratitude to the fans of Colorado, Toronto and New York. They always made my family and I feel so welcome.
I want to thank the Yankees organization and Brian Cashman for giving me the opportunity to wear the Yankees uniform and live out another childhood dream. I wish that my health had allowed for a different ending to that chapter.
To the coaches, training staff and baseball executives who helped me in my career … I am incredibly grateful to all of you. To my teammates throughout the years, thank you for grinding with me. I truly value all the relationships that were built through this game.
None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends. To my wife, my son and my parents … you helped make my dreams come true. To my agent Paul Cohen and TWC Sports Management … thank you for taking care of everything. You all allowed me to play the game I love without distractions.
While this chapter is now over, I look forward to continuing my involvement in the game that I love … instructing and helping young players to achieve their goals and dreams.
I’m saying goodbye to Major League Baseball, but I will never say goodbye 2 the game I love. Thanks again 2 all of you!“
Tulowitzki’s final season consisted of only five games, as he was sidelined by a calf strain early in his tenure with the Yankees. It seems like his latest injury might have well been the last straw after a long series of ailments that have limited Tulowitzki for more or less his entire career, but particularly over the last few years. Tulowitzki missed all of 2018 after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs from his heels, and after the Blue Jays released him in Spring Training, he caught on with the Yankees on a minor league deal in the hopes of following in the footsteps of his childhood hero Derek Jeter as New York’s shortstop.
One can’t discuss Tulowitzki’s career without mentioning his injury history, as he played more than 130 games just three times over his 13 seasons. It’s quite possible that a healthy Tulowitzki could have potentially garnered himself some consideration as a Hall-of-Famer. On the other hand, a more optimistic view is that given all of his health issues, the fact that Tulowitzki was still able to perform as well as he did is extraordinary.
Selected by the Rockies seventh overall in the 2005 draft, Tulowitzki will long be remembered for his glory days in Colorado. “Tulo” racked up five All-Star appearances, two Silver Slugger Awards, two Gold Gloves and a pair of fifth-place NL MVP finishes over his 10 seasons and 1048 games in Rockies purple. He was also a second-place finisher in NL Rookie Of The Year voting in 2007, as Tulowitzki’s emergence was a major factor in the vaunted “Rocktober” team that virtually ran the table down the stretch and through the postseason en route to a surprise NL pennant and the only World Series appearance in Colorado’s franchise history.
After signing a pair of long-term contract extensions with the Rockies, Tulowitzki seemed like a Rox lifer before a blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent him to the Blue Jays in July 2015. Though Tulowitzki was openly surprised and even dismayed to be leaving his longtime team, Tulowitzki nevertheless helped stabilize Toronto’s shortstop situation as the Jays reached the ALCS in both 2015 and 2016.
Over his entire career, Tulowitzki will finish with a .290/.361/.495 slash line and 225 career home runs. Like most hitters, Tulowitzki enjoyed a boost from playing the bulk of his home games at Coors Field, though his career 118 OPS+ and 119 wRC+ indicate that he was certainly an above-average offensive player full stop.
Tulowitzki earned slightly less than $164MM over the course of his career, as per Baseball Reference. This includes the remainder of his current contract, which runs through the end of the 2020 season and the bulk of which is being covered by the Blue Jays after their release of the shortstop.
We at MLB Trade Rumors wish Tulowitzki our congratulations on an outstanding playing career, and we wish him the best in his future role teaching the next generations of players.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images