11-Year Major League Veteran "Quietly" Retires

After opting out of the last two seasons due to the circumstances around the sport regarding COVID, former Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals veteran Ian Desmond "is quietly calling it a career" according to MLB Insider Jon Heyman.

The 36-year-old Desmond had an 11-year career in the majors, but hasn't played since 2019. He was one of several players around baseball that sat out the shortened 2020 season, and then again last year he decided to skip the proceedings, citing family needs. 

"My desire to be with my family is greater than my desire to go back and play baseball under these circumstances," Desmond said a year ago. "I'm going to continue to train and watch how things unfold." That was back in February, 2021. He and his wife had a fifth child right about that time. Obviously, things have "unfolded" to the point where Desmond is happy to be a family man rather than a baseball player going forward. 

The first 7 years of his career were spent with the Washinton Nationals, and after a year in Texas, he played his last three seasons in Colorado. Overall, he finishes with a .263 average, .742 OPS, and oddly an identical number of home runs and stolen bases—181 of each. 

Desmond was a two-time All-Star, and won three Silver Sluggers in his career as a shortstop. He also played some outfield and a little first base in his later years in Colorado. 

Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports