New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is expected to announce his retirement Friday afternoon. The slugger will reportedly play out the rest of the 2016 season before making his officially hanging up his pinstripes.
The Yankees originally announced a scheduled 3 p.m. EST news conference about Teixeira, 36, but didn’t say why. Then ESPN’s Buster Olney reported the reason:
Mark Teixeira expected to announce his retirement later today, at 36, effective at the end of the season.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 5, 2016
The three-time All-Star was originally drafted No. 5 overall by the Texas Rangers in the 2001 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech. Teixeira played four-and-a-half seasons in Texas before he was traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2007.
The trade to Atlanta for Teixeira was the first of two straight back-to-back trade deadline deals he was involved in. On July 31, 2007 the Braves sent a massive package of Beau Jones, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia to Texas for Teixeira and Ron Mahay.
Less than a year later, on July 29, 2008, the Braves traded Teixeira to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Stephen Marek and Casey Kotchman.
After the 2008 season, Teixeira joined C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett as three big free agent signings with the New York Yankees who led them to their most recent World Series championship in 2009. (Teixeira spurned the Boston Red Sox, which had to make his inking a deal with the Yankees extra painful.)
Teixeira’s contract was for eight years and $180 million dollars and runs through the end of the 2016 season. Rather than seek out another contract, the slugger has decided to retire. His performance this year hasn’t made a case for continuing to play. In 303 plate appearances, he’s batting .198 with a .627 OPS, 10 home runs and 27 RBI.
Over his career, Teixeira was named an All-Star three times, also winning five Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers. The veteran’s best season was in 2009, his first in New York, when he finished second in the American League MVP voting with a .292 average, 39 homers, and 122 RBI.
Teixeira has really fallen off since that MVP-caliber season. Since playing in 156 games in 2011, Teixeira hasn’t played in more than 123 games since as he’s dealt with injuries. Through 77 games in 2016, Teixeira is hitting a rough .198 with 10 homers and 27 RBI.
