7-Year Oakland A's Veteran Announces Retirement After One Final Game

After seven years in the big leagues, and then trying his hand on minor league deals with three different teams thus far this season, at 31 years old, veteran utilityman Chad Pinder is retiring from baseball.

I’m told Chad Pinder is retiring after his game with Gwinnett tonight. Such a wonderful person. Never got the playing time to establish himself the way many of us thought he would but always a superb and unselfish team leader. He will be a great manager one day.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) May 27, 2023

Pinder is making Saturday night's Triple-A game with Gwinnett his final appearance before hanging up the cleats.

He spent seven years with the Oakland A's after they selected him in the 2nd round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He came up in 2016, and wrapped up his major league days last year, finishing with an OPS+ of 96, just four ticks below the average hitter. In the field, he’s appeared at eight different positions on the field during his career.

Pinder became a free agent after 2022, and signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds, but struggled to a woeful .103 batting mark in spring training. They released him, and he caught on with another minor league deal with the Washington Nationals. After hitting just .218 at Triple-A, they, too, released him, leading him to a third minor league contract, this time with the Atlanta Braves. 

He's actually hit .333 in six games with the Braves' Triple-A affiliate at Gwinnett, including two homers, but the grind of trying to earn his way back to the big leagues has taken its toll. 

Pinder will retire with a major league line of 62 HR, 197 RBIs, a .242 batting average and a .711 OPS. 

Photo: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports