Catcher Alex Avila To Retire After Season

According to Maria Torres of The Athletic, catcher Alex Avila will be calling it a career at the end of the season. She also noted that he wants to remain a part of the sport. Perhaps he could work for the Detroit Tigers, as his father is their general manager. 

News: Veteran catcher Alex Avila will be retiring at the end of the 2021 season, a person with knowledge told @TheAthleticMLB. Avila, 34, doesn't intend to stay out of the game for long, though.

— Maria Torres (@maria_torres3) September 19, 2021

Avila is currently playing in a platoon role with the Washington Nationals. In 29 games on the season, he has one home run, seven RBIs and a .179 batting average. At this stage, it makes sense that the 34-year-old veteran catcher is ready to retire. 

Avila is remembered most for his time with the Tigers. During the 2011 season with them, he was an All-Star and won the Silver Slugger Award. He had 19 home runs, 82 RBIs and a .295 average on the campaign, so it was justifiable considering his position.

Since leaving the Tigers in 2015, Avila has been a journeyman and has primarily been a backup. He would go on to play for the Chicago White Sox, Tigers again, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins and Nationals. 

In 1,047 career games at this point, he has 105 home runs, 395 RBIs and a .233 batting average. We will have to wait and see how much more he adds to his totals before season's end. 

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