David O’Brien of The Athletic reports that reliever Peter Moylan is retiring from Major League Baseball. The 40-year-old side-arming right-hander still plans to play baseball in Italy this summer and for the Australian Olympic team.
Moylan had been hoping to get a major league contract offer this winter, but he unfortunately did not. He spoke with me last month about the issues free agents are dealing with, saying that he faced “anxiety and uncertainty, especially at my age.” He added, “I know I can still pitch but that doesn’t guarantee you a job.”
Moylan expressed similar sentiment to O’Brien. He said, “The game is trending younger; I’m certainly not that. It’s time for me to let the kids play, so I’m done.”
Across parts of 12 seasons in the majors with the Braves, Royals, and Dodgers, Moylan accrued a 3.10 ERA with 324 strikeouts and 180 walks across 418 2/3 innings. His best season came in 2007 with the Braves, when he pitched 90 innings with a 1.80 ERA. Unfortunately, Moylan battled injuries throught much of his career, but not many people get to say they pitched all the way into their late-30’s.
Best of luck to Moylan as he puts Major League Baseball in the rear-view mirror.
