Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce contemplating retirement
Boston Red Sox first baseman and World Series MVP Steve Pearce reveals that he’s considering retirement at the end of the 2019 season.
Steve Pearce hasn’t been able to take the field very often for the Boston Red Sox this season. He may never play again once the season ends.
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Pearce is considering retirement. He told reporters that he plans to spend time with his family in Florida after the Red Sox wrap up their season this weekend against the Baltimore Orioles. He’ll use that time to contemplate his future but he certainly sounds like a player who seems at peace with the decision to hang up his cleats.
“I’ve accomplished a lot,” Pearce said. “I’m 36. I’ll be 37 next year. I’ve grinded my whole career and I can lay my head down at night knowing I gave everything I had. We’ll see what the future holds.”
There must be a part of Pearce that wonders if he should have went out on top by retiring last year. He filled the need for a lefty-masher in the Red Sox lineup following his mid-season acquisition and produced admirably in his part-time role. He won a championship and earned World Series MVP honors. That would have been a great way to ride off into the sunset.
The Red Sox lured him back with a one-year, $6.25 million deal that proved to be a mistake. Pearce hit a brutal .180 with a .503 OPS in 29 games while battling knee and back issues this season. He hasn’t played since landing on the injured list at the end of May.
You can understand how a nice chunk of change convinced Pearce to play another year, especially when you consider how well he played last season. No team will be rushing to offer a contract to an aging veteran coming off a brutal season marred by injuries. A Red Sox team intent on ducking the luxury tax next year will certainly look for younger, cheaper alternatives.
Peare has hit .254/.332/.440 with 91 home runs and 303 RBI over the course of 13 seasons split between seven different teams. He debuted in 2007 with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he spent the first five years of his career. His 2012 season saw him spend brief stints with three different teams. He’s played for all five teams in the AL East.
It’s been a career full of peaks and valleys for the journeyman. He’s always been a part-time player, topping out at 102 games played in 2014. Pearce has been designated for assignment three times but he’s also been a postseason hero.
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If this is indeed the end of the line, Pearce can walk away without any regrets. While it hasn’t worked out well for the team this year, Boston shouldn’t regret trading for him. His salary was a sunk cost this year but he earned it for his heroics last October.