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MLB notebook: Rangers 3B Beltre retires

[November 21, 2018] Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre announced his retirement Tuesday.

"After careful consideration and many sleepless nights, I have made the decision to retire from what I've been doing my whole life, which is playing baseball, the game I love," said Beltre in a statement released by the team. "I have thought about it a lot and although I appreciate all the opportunities and everything that baseball has given me, it's time to call it a career. I have enjoyed the privilege of playing professional baseball since I was 15 years old. I have been blessed to have played 21 seasons at the highest level in Major League Baseball."

Beltre retires leading all third basemen in RBIs, and he's third all time among players at the position with 477 career home runs and Wins Above Replacement (95.7). In the WAR metric, Beltre is 38th all time among all players.

A four-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner at the hot corner, Beltre had a .286 lifetime batting average, 3,166 hits and 1,707 RBIs across 21 major league seasons.

--Boston Red Sox left-hander David Price was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year, capping a season in which he shed the label of playoff underachiever and won the first World Series title of his career.

After elbow injuries limited him to only 16 games (11 starts) in 2017, Price, 33, started 30 games in 2018. He was 16-7 with a 3.58 ERA, striking out 177 batters while walking 50.

Atlanta Braves left-handed reliever Jonny Venters won the award in the National League. In 2018, the 33-year-old pitched in the majors for the first time since 2012. In the interim, he underwent numerous procedures, including two Tommy John surgeries.

--The Red Sox acquired right-handed reliever Colten Brewer from the San Diego Padres for minor league infielder Esteban Quiroz, both teams announced.

Brewer recorded a 5.59 ERA in 11 appearances for the Padres last season, his first in the majors. The 26-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A El Paso, where he went 3-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 37 appearances.

Quiroz, 26, batted .283 with seven homers and 31 RBIs in 32 games across two minor league levels last season. He spent the previous seven seasons playing in Mexico.

--The Cleveland Indians announced that outfielder Leonys Martin is cleared to resume baseball activities and is expected to be ready for full baseball activity by the start of the 2019 season as the 30-year-old continues his recovery of a life-threatening bacterial disease.

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Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre (29) stands on second base after hitting a double for his 3,000th major league hit in the 4th inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Martin, who agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Indians for 2019 earlier this offseason, became ill after a game on Aug. 7. He was taken to the hospital the following day when his condition quickly worsened.

He was diagnosed with a life-threatening bacterial infection that ravaged internal organs throughout his bloodstream, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told reporters at the time. He also was ruled out for the rest of the 2018 season.

--The Texas Rangers officially announced the signing of free agent catcher Jeff Mathis to a two-year contract.

The deal is worth $6.25 million, according to multiple reports.

The defensive-minded Mathis batted .200 with one home run and 20 RBIs in 69 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. He led all catchers with 17 runs saved, according to the Fielding Bible, and won the entity's award as the top defensive catcher in the majors.

--The New York Mets released right-handed pitcher Jenrry Mejia, who had been suspended three times in his career for drug-related issues.

Formerly the Mets closer in 2014, he was suspended for life on Feb. 12, 2016, after his third positive test for a banned steroid, but was told by baseball commissioner Rob Manfred in July that he could return to the majors in 2019.

In 18 starts and 95 relief appearances over four major league seasons, all with the Mets, Mejia went 9-14 with a 3.68 ERA. The Mets signed him as an international free agent in April 2007, and he made his major league debut in 2010.

--Field Level Media

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