Aníbal Sánchez, the former Detroit Tigers pitcher, has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball (MLB) after a 16-year career. The 39-year-old Venezuelan posted a retirement message on Instagram on Tuesday after going unsigned during the first six weeks of the 2021 season.
Sánchez began his professional career with the Red Sox as an amateur signee from Venezuela during the 2000-01 international period. However, the majority of his career was spent playing for the Miami Marlins, Detroit Tigers, and Washington Nationals.
The Venezuelan set a Tigers’ franchise record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game in 2013 during his time in Detroit. However, with a record of 116-199 and a 4.06 ERA across 364 appearances, including 341 starts, Sánchez’s stardom took place elsewhere. In 2012, Playing with the Tigers, he worked 182 innings of 2.57 ERA ball over 29 starts, winning the American League ERA title and topping the junior circuit with a 2.39 FIP. He finished fourth in the Cy Young balloting in that year and helped the club to a repeat division title. After an unproductive stint with the Tigers, he joined the Braves in 2018 on a minor league deal and provided Atlanta with a 2.83 ERA over 136 2/3 innings, helping them clinch their sixth NL East title.
He spent his final three seasons with the Washington Nationals, and although he struggled with injuries in the final two, he made a significant contribution to the club’s success. Sánchez won 11 games for the team during their 2019 World Series championship run, including an incredible performance in the opening game of the National League championship series, allowing one hit in 7 2/3 scoreless innings in Washington’s 2-0 victory over St. Louis. He was also the losing pitcher for Detroit in Game 3 of the 2012 World Series, which San Francisco swept.
Sánchez’s retirement marks the end of an era in MLB. Throughout his career, he proved himself to be an essential player on several different teams. He may not have had the longevity of some of baseball’s greats, but his impact on the game should not be underestimated.
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