These veterans have had their fair shares of highs and lows throughout their respective careers, but it may be time to finally hang up the cleats. Here are 20 veterans who should retire this offseason.
20. Joaquin Arias
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Arias has never stood out as a productive player as he owns a.265 average with 7 home runs and 95 RBI over his seven years in the league. This past season he only played in 40 games and hit a mere .207. Producing such numbers should lead to a lack of offers by other teams. If he fails to latch on to a team it would be best to just retire.
19. Roberto Hernandez
Thomas Shea USA Today
19. Roberto Hernandez
Thomas Shea USA Today
Hernandez struggled in 2015 as he went 3-5 with a 4.36 ERA. While his numbers were sub-par, they are just part of his ongoing trend of below-average production since his 2007 campaign when he went 19-8. Hernandez never lived up to the potential he showed in 2007 which makes retirement a good option for him at this point.
18. Josh Johnson
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18. Josh Johnson
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Josh Johnson has had a productive career up to this point, but injuries have derailed his career. He currently is in the process of coming back from his third Tommy John surgery. The chances that he is able to return from this surgery for a third time are slim which makes the prospect of retiring the option for him.
17. Rafael Betancourt
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17. Rafael Betancourt
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Betancourt has struggled over the past three years. Each of the past two seasons he's played (2013 & 2015) he's yielded an ERA higher than 4.00. His number of games played has also decreased during his last two seasons. Given his age (40) and his declining production, it may be best to retire now before his production takes an even steeper dive down.
16. Jerome Williams
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16. Jerome Williams
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Williams has had a rough couple years. The nine year veteran endured his worst season in 2015 when he finished 4-12 with a 5.80 ERA. Up to this point he has accumulated a sub-par career record of 52-66 with a 4.57 ERA. Williams has never been an outstanding arm and chances are he isn't going to start getting better at 34 years old. It would be wise of him to just hang up his cleats and walk away.
15. C.C. Sabathia
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15. C.C. Sabathia
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Sabathia has struggled over the past couple of seasons and recently checked himself into rehab for substance abuse. It was a shock to many around him and it may be best if he hang it up so he can focus on his health and build a better future for himself.
14. Chris Young
Noah K. Murray USA Today
14. Chris Young
Noah K. Murray USA Today
Young had a great 2015 season as he went 11-6 with a 3.06 ERA. At 35, his stats are bound to decline. If his Royals are able to win the World Series, he should ride off into the sunset on the highest note possible -- a world series winner.
13. Shane Victorino
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13. Shane Victorino
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Victorino has had a successful career to date, but he's seen his production decrease rapidly. This past season, he managed to hit a mere .230 with one HR and seven RBIs in 71 games. He isn't the player he once was and should retire now instead of taking a very limited role with a team next season.
12. Aaron Harang
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12. Aaron Harang
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Harang has not endured the same success he saw during his time with the Reds earlier in his career. Since his time with the Reds, his career has been a roller-coaster ride which took a quick drop this past year after he went 6-15 with a 4.86 ERA. Over the past couple of seasons he has proven to be generally ineffective and would be better if he just moved on from baseball at this point.
11. Jimmy Rollins
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11. Jimmy Rollins
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Rollins has had a successful career to with close to 2,500 career hits, however, he has seen his average decline each of the last three seasons. Seeing his ability to hit the ball fall may signal the need to retire before he takes a complete nosedive and becomes a casualty of Spring Training cuts.
10. Chase Utley
Richard Mackson USA Today
10. Chase Utley
Richard Mackson USA Today
Like Rollins, Utley saw his production take a dive as he hit .212 with eight HRs and 39 RBIs in 107 games this season. His production proves that he has lost a step in his swing and if that is the case, it may be best that he bow out before his production gets worse and he becomes obsolete.
9. Torii Hunter
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9. Torii Hunter
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Hunter will always be known for his outstanding defensive plays in the outfield. His age eventually moved him to right field and his production has dipped down some. As much as we'd all love to continue to watch him go out and play, it would be best if he preserved his health and retire now after a respectable season for a 40-year-old.
8. Mark Buerhle
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8. Mark Buehrle
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He has a World Series ring and an outstanding defensive play that will live on in the vault of MLB highlights. These two things combine for a good career, but it is rare when you get to go out on a positive note and after finishing this season 15-8; it may be the perfect time for him to leave the game.
7. Johan Santana
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7. Johan Santana
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Santana last played in the league in 2013 due to undergoing and recovering from Tommy John surgery. His health has basically ended his career and it would be best for him if he finally came to terms with it and announced his official retirement from baseball.
6. Corey Hart
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6. Corey Hart
Kim Klement-USA Today
The past two seasons, Hart has been limited to only 103 games due to numerous shoulder and knee injuries. In those 103 games, he managed to hit only eight HRs and 30 RBIs . It would be smart of him to retire now before he does greater damage to his body that he seems to be constantly nursing.
5. A.J. Burnett
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5. A.J. Burnett
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Burnett has had an overall good career. After going 8-18 two seasons ago, he rebounded with a 9-7 record in 2015. This is his shot to go out on a high note and it would be best if he took it and rode off into the sunset.
4. R.A. Dickey
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4. R.A. Dickey
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Outside of his magical 2012 season, Dickey's career has been pretty mediocre. At 40 years old, he has earned a 100-93 career record with a 3.97 ERA. This season, he went 11-11 with a 3.91 ERA, but his stats should only regress from here due to his age. Taking age into account, it probably would be best if he retired now before he loses his control and becomes a batting practice arm.
3. Sean Marshall
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3. Sean Marshall
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Marshall has struggled with his recovery from shoulder surgery and could cost him future jobs. Since he still hasn't fully recovered from his surgery a couple of years ago, it may be best if he just shut it down and call it a career. If his body is not healing properly, it wouldn't be a good idea to put it out there and risk getting re-injured.
2. Bartolo Colon
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2. Bartolo Colon
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Colon has been an effective pitcher for his entire career, but if his Mets win the World Series, he'd be crazy not to retire. Sure, we will miss his at-bats, but if you are his age and have the opportunity to leave the game after winning a title, you take it.
1. Dan Uggla
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1. Dan Uggla
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The once key piece to the Marlins has now become a nobody thanks to a rough couple of seasons recently. During that time, he has hit .149 and .184, respectively, with four HRs and 26 RBIs in a combined 119 games. His production has taken a dive for the worse. It would be wise of him to hang up his cleats now instead of continuing his painful spiral down into obscurity.
Chad Troyan is a Cincinnati Reds writer. He also covers the NFL and NCAAF for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChadTroyan15, “Like”him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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