Longtime first baseman and designated hitter Kendrys Morales announced his retirement on Friday in a story with ESPN’s Marly Rivera.
Morales enjoyed a 13-year career that included two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays (2017-18), in which he hit 49 home runs and slashed .249/.318/.442. He also played for the Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees.
Morales was part of the 2015 World Series champion Royals, hitting four home runs in that post-season run.
During his last MLB stop, with the Yankees in 2019, Morales was batting just .177 in 19 games. He was released on July 2 and became a free agent this winter.
In 2004, Morales defected from Cuba and began his career with the Angels. The 36-year-old noted that he has missed a lot of family time during his career and was looking forward to making up for lost time in retirement.
“That was one of the reasons why I made the decision to retire, to see if I can recover the lost time,” Morales told ESPN. “Also, Major League Baseball has changed and maybe veteran players like me are not valued, so it’s the best time for this decision. It’s very hard, but it’s the right decision for me and my family.”
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