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"After 14 incredible seasons, I've decided to
make the very difficult decision to retire from baseball," Bruce
said in a statement released by MLB Network. "All I ever wanted
to be 'when I grew up' was a baseball player, and to say that I
got to live out my dream would be the understatement of a
lifetime. This sport gave me more than I could've ever asked
for."
He is available to play in Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay
Rays, with his retirement becoming official afterward, Yankees
manager Aaron Boone said Sunday morning.
"He came to me Friday at the start of the series and had a long
conversation about it," Boone said. "It's been a great run for
him and he's been a real pro for us."
Bruce signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees in February
that included a $1.35 million salary for making the big-league
roster.
"Ultimately I just felt like I couldn't perform at the level I
expected from myself," Bruce said. "For me to do what I needed
to do, it just wasn't in the cards. It's tough but I feel at
peace with it."
The left-handed hitter has a lifetime .244 average with 319 home
runs, 951 RBIs and 1,455 hits in 1,650 games with the Cincinnati
Reds (2008-16), New York Mets (2016-17, 2018), Cleveland Indians
(2017), Seattle Mariners (2019), Philadelphia Phillies (2019-20)
and Yankees.
--Field Level Media
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