Former MLB pitcher Oliver Perez announced this week that he will pitch one more season in Mexico, with Toros de Tijuana, and then will retire from baseball.
He is far from the first player to announce his retirement from baseball during the 2021-22 offseason and the current, ongoing lockout.
And chances are he may not be the last.
Infielders Kyle Seager and Ryan Zimmerman, pitcher Jon Lester, and All-Star catcher Buster Posey also decided to hang up their cleats and enjoy life after professional sports.
ESPN insider Buster Olney tweeted that the uncertain future of the game and the lockout may have been contributing factors for those who decided to retire.
“There is a belief among a lot of players and agents that without the current CBA uncertainty, at least some of the many players who have retired this winter would have continued to play.”
There is a belief among a lot of players and agents that without the current CBA uncertainty, at least some of the many players who have retired this winter would have continued to play.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 22, 2022
Did The Lockout Push Some Stars Into Retirement?
You could technically say, therefore, that the current lockout at least pushed some high-profile athletes to go in a way they surely wouldn’t have wanted.
No one likes to play the waiting game, not knowing what the future will hold.
Some people, including baseball players, want to be owners of their own destiny.
If a player has earned respect around the game and may still have one or two years left, this is definitely not the way they preferred to say goodbye to their fans.
It’s unclear how much influence the lockout had in each individual decision, but some of those players could still help a few teams.
The worst thing of all is that some of the active players may decide to go to other leagues the longer the lockout goes on.
That’s not good for anyone, and definitely helps put things in perspective.
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