When is it time for an athlete to leave the game they have loved and played for many years?
Most MLB players know when it’s time to leave, but a few don’t. Is it their desire to win a championship that causes athletes to hang on long after their prime, or their desire to pad their bank account further? That’s not to say that older MLB players cannot perform at a high level; not! Many players have continued to compete after their “prime years”: Nolan Ryan was 44 in 1991 when he had a 2.91 ERA with 203 Ks in 27 starts.
Let’s take a look at five players that need to call it a career and five that should keep on, keeping on. (Based on information/stats before the 2024 season)
Which MLB players should continue playing and which ones should call it a day?
Retire – Anthony Rendon
Angels fans must feel hoodwinked by Anthony Rendon. Before the 2020 season, the third baseman signed a 7-year, $245 million deal that was supposed to make him the perfect complement to Mike Trout. He has been anything but that. From 2021-23 Rendon has played a total of 148 out of 486 games. He made waves this offseason when he stated that baseball’s never been a “top priority” to him. Regardless of what he meant by that statement, it didn’t go over well with the Angels fan base.
One has to wonder how committed the injured player was to rehabbing his various injuries. After his comment, it’s a fair question to ask. It’s difficult to see players like Rendon willingly walk away from such a hefty contract in MLB, but it might be in the Angels’ best interest to do so. Like another player coming later in this list, injured, unproductive, and highly paid are a deadly combination for an athlete. When you add in his possible indifference, it’s time for Anthony Rendon to go.
Stay – David Robertson
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Sadly, David Robertson will not make the Hall of Fame when he is done playing. Over the years, the HoF voters have not been very kind to relief pitchers. They’ve only elected 9, and Robertson doesn’t have the flashiest numbers for enshrinement despite being one of the best relievers in baseball over his 16-year career. Unfortunately, Robertson has spent most of his career as a set-up man to elite closers such as Mariano Rivera and Aroldis Chapman rather than a closer himself.
However, when given the opportunity to close games, Robertson was one of the best in the league. He even had three straight seasons with 30+ saves. Entering 2024 at 39, the reliever shows no sign of slowing down. In 2023, he was a combined 6-6 with a 3.03 ERA, 18 saves, and 78 Ks in 65.1 innings pitched. The only reason that David Robertson should retire is because he wants to, not because he has to.
Retire – Yasmani Grandal
From 2016-2019, Yasmani Grandal was one of the best catchers in baseball. He was a defensive whiz and a power threat with a bat in his hands. The last few seasons have been a different story. Grandal averaged 7 HRs and 29 RBIs per season in three of the last four seasons. In 2023, he hit .234 with 8 HRs and 33 RBIs in 118 games. While his defensive capabilities haven’t waned, his bat has.
The backstop has become a one-dimensional player and that is not sustainable for a major league roster. Pittsburgh brought him in for his ability to provide defense and work with the pitching staff, but sooner than later they are going to need someone that can hit the ball. Yasmani Grandal is not that person. It’s time for him to retire.
Stay – Justin Turner
Since finally breaking into the Major Leagues at 26 years old, Justin Turner has been a consistent contributor for several teams. After breaking in with the Mets, he spent nine years with the Dodgers before spending 2023 in Boston. He put together his typical solid season with the Red Sox, batting .276 with 23 HRs and 96 RBIs in 146 games. Boston opted to let Turner go and he eventually signed a one-year contract with Toronto for the 2024 season.
Considering that the man can still produce at a high level in MLB and above other players, there’s no reason that he should stop playing. His days of signing multi-year deals are certainly over, but as long as he doesn’t mind signing one or two-year deals, he will continue to have teams that will want his services.
Also read: 10 MLB Players Who Died While Still Active In The League
Retire – Carlos Carrasco
Carlos Carrasco has a reputation as being one of the good guys, and after all he’s been through, it’s hard to root against him as a person. But this list is examining whether someone should retire from baseball or not, and Carrasco should retire. The 2023 season was not kind to Carrasco. He made 20 starts and finished with a record of 3-8 with a 6.80 ERA. He gave up 115 hits and struck out 66 batters in 90.0 innings pitched.
Those numbers are not very impressive. The right-hander is entering the 2024 season at 37 years old and is hoping a return to Cleveland, where he had the greatest career success, will rejuvenate him. While we wish him luck, it appears that the writing is on the wall and time is up. It’s probably better for Carlos Carrasco to walk away on his own rather than tarnish his reputation.
Stay – Charlie Morton
Charlie Morton entered the 2024 season at the tender age of 40 years, but he is still an effective starter that every team would want. The best word to describe the pitcher would be consistent. He’s not the ace of the rotation, but at this stage in his career, he is still a solid number three. From 2021-23 Morton averaged 31 starts, 173.6 innings pitched, 13 wins, and 201.3 strikeouts per season, and that covers his age 37-39 years.
In 2021, at 37, he led all the MLB players in starts with 33. The bottom line is that the man is still an effective Major League pitcher. Other than desire, there’s no reason for Charlie Morton to stop pitching.
Retire – Joey Votto
Joey Votto has carved out a nice career for himself over 17 years as a Red. While he probably will not make the Hall of Fame, he should eventually have his number retired in Cincinnati. Votto spent 17 years in the Queen City and compiled an impressive resume, including being a 6x All-Star and winning an MVP. However, 3 of his last four seasons were subpar, as he averaged 12 HRs, 50 hits, and 34 RBIs in 210 games played during that span.
The outlier was 2021, where he hit well but was still limited to 129 games. The Reds decided to release him after the 2023 season. Free agency was not kind to the first baseman, but he did eventually sign a non-roster contract with Toronto. His status for playing in 2024 remains murky, but it doesn’t need to be. Hanging around for the sake of your passion for the game when your skills can’t keep up is noble, but kind of sad. It’s time for Joey Votto to call it a career.
Stay – Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander will take the mound in 2024 at the age of 41, but that will have to wait as he starts the season on the Disabled List. When he returns, the pitcher hopes to get back to where he was before he got hurt, a path that leads to the Hall of Fame. After missing the 2020-21 seasons with Tommy John surgery, coming back to win the Cy Young in 2022, and putting together a quality 2023 before getting injured yet again.
It would be understandable if Verlander decided to walk away rather than go through the rehab process. Fortunately for baseball, the right-hander will be coming back this season, and hopefully he will stay around for several more years. In addition to still being one of the best-starting pitchers among MLB players, he has a chance to be MLB’s last 300-game winner for a long, long time. He currently starts the 2024 season with 257 wins, 15 wins for the next three seasons seems reasonably possible. Hopefully, we will get to watch Justin Verlander chase that career milestone.
Also read: 10 MLB Players You Had No Idea Made it Big in Life After Baseball
Retire – Giancarlo Stanton
Ask any New York Yankee fan and they’ll tell you that it is time for Giancarlo Stanton to go. They might be right. Despite only being 34 years old, the outfielder’s body has been breaking down over the last few years. He has not played a full season since 2018, and from 2019-2023 he has played 391 out of a possible 810 games. But it’s not just the missed games, when he’s played, he is limited to DH and is bad at it. From 2021-23, on average, Stanton struck out in about 33% of his at-bats. A DH that can’t hit is not a help to his team.
He is also a sloth on the basepaths. His muscular, inflexible body makes him a station-to-station runner unless a ball is driven deep in the gap. The only reason he’s still playing is because New York still owes him $98 million over the next four years. At some point, if he doesn’t start hitting, the Yankees may have to make the decision to part ways with Giancarlo (you’ll always be Mike to me) Stanton.
Stay – Clayton Kershaw
There is no question that Clayton Kershaw is a future Hall of Fame player. He has built himself quite an impressive resume: 3x Cy Young Award winner, MVP Award, Triple Crown, 10x All-Star, 5x ERA title, and a World Series title. He also has a career record of 210-92 with a 2.48 ERA. In 16 years, the pitcher has never had a losing record. Kershaw enters the 2024 season only 56 strikeouts away from 3,000 for his career. Injuries and a 16-year career have limited MLB players’ ability to stay on the field, but when he does take the mound, he is still a very effective pitcher. In 2022 he was 12-3 with a 2.28 ERA and 137 Ks in 126.1 innings pitched.
He followed that up with a stellar 2023: 13-5, 2.46 ERA, 137 Ks, 131.2 IP. The Dodgers have the financial might to allow the future HoFer to continue to have a reduced workload, keeping him effective for many years. Although he has nothing more to prove, Clayton Kershaw certainly has the ability to keep on pitching.
Also read: All The Best MLB Players From Each Country Right Now
