Jul 28, 2021; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Zack Britton (53) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays
NEW YORK — Zack Britton, who sat out the 2023 season, told The Athletic that he’s retiring from baseball.
Britton, 35, drew interest last spring, but no team appeared willing to offer him a guaranteed contract after he struggled upon rushing back from Tommy John surgery at the end of 2022.
The former closer had one of the greatest relief seasons of all-time in 2016, finishing with a 0.54 ERA and 47 saves with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Yankees acquired him two years later, and he posted a 2.75 ERA across five seasons while serving as the setup man to Aroldis Chapman.
“Playing for the Yankees was special, being able to take my family to All-Star Games was really cool, too,” Britton said. “But when I look back at my career, I think what I’m most proud of is that offseason (in 2015) and how I handled a time that was make-or-break for me.”
The two-time All-Star wraps up his career with a 3.13 ERA and 154 saves in 442 appearances.
“My last outing was against the Orioles. I threw a ball to the backstop as my last pitch; I think about that and it sucks,” Britton said. “It might not have been perfect from a career standpoint or going out on a high note, but you don’t always get to pick. My gut was telling me it was time to see what life was like on the other side.”
