5 Major League Baseball players who should retire

With CC Sabathia likely riding off into the sunset this offseason, we decided to take a look at some other top Major League Baseball players who should hang up their cleats before the 2020 season.

Martin Prado, IF, age 36

Per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, Martin Prado “has told friends he will likely retire” this offseason. The veteran utility man spent the last five years of his career in Miami, and the final three were plagued by various injuries (195 total games played). The career .287 hitter mainly split time at first and third base but was occasionally deployed in the corner outfield positions in his salad days in Atlanta. Prado is no Hall of Famer but was a useful player over his 14-year career.

Curtis Granderson, OF, 39

Fellow Marlin, Curtis Granderson, could follow Prado out the door. He struggled to find employment when the Mets decided to part ways with him at the tail-end of 2017 and shipped him to the Dodgers. Granderson bounced from the Brewers to the Blue Jays to the Marlins over the last two seasons and is now a free agent once more. His once-blinding speed that enabled him to hit 23 triples with the Tigers in 2007 is long gone, and his .183 batting average in 2019 was by far the worst of his career. The four-time Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award winner is respected throughout the game, but his time as a player appears to be up.

Rich Hill, SP, 40

Despite 15 seasons in the majors, Rich Hill’s longest tenure with a team occurred over the last four years with the Dodgers. However, he pitched just 58 2/3 innings in 2019 because of injury. Hill (3.87 career ERA) is listed on the open market, but his history of poor health will give suitors pause.

Rajai Davis, OF, 39

Rajai Davis is still one of the fastest players in the sport, and stole 43 bases as recently as 2017, but his hitting skills have diminished. He was forced to take a minor-league deal with the Mets in 2019 but was fortunate enough to make the club May 22 and delivered a shocking, walk-off home run to win that game.

Demoted less than a week later, he was recalled late in the campaign and was used mainly as a reserve player. Davis may be forced into retirement because of a lack of interest from the league, but his 415 stolen bases ranks 66th all-time.

Pat Neshek, RP, 39

Both the delivery and the career of Pat Neshek were unconventional, as he bounced around to seven different clubs over a 13-year stint in the majors. Last year was arguably the worst of his career, as he recorded a 5.00 ERA in 20 appearances for the Phillies in a season cut short by injury. Neshek may have reached the end of the road.

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