Carlos Quentin announces retirement
Quentin played in parts of nine Major League seasons with Arizona, Chicago (AL) & San Diego
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik announced that Carlos Quentin has decided to retire from baseball.
"Over the past several days, it became clear to me that my injuries have taken too great of a physical toll for me to be able to perform at the level I expect from myself," said Quentin. "As a result, I believe it is the right time for me to walk away and to refocus my energy on the next chapter of my life with my family.
"The game of baseball has allowed me to fulfill many personal and professional goals. I want to thank the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres and most recently the Seattle Mariners for the opportunity to play the game of baseball professionally.
"I also want to thank Mark Marquess and Stanford University for allowing me the opportunity to earn my degree while providing the platform to achieve my dreams in professional baseball. And of course I am grateful for all the support from my family and friends throughout my career without whom I could not have realized the success I did."
Quentin, 32, signed a minor league contract with Seattle on April 22 and had been playing with the AAA Tacoma Rainiers. He has played nine Major League seasons with the Diamondbacks (2006-07), White Sox (2008-2011) and Padres (2012-14). He was most recently with Atlanta, who acquired him in a six-player trade, before he was released on April 14.
During his Major League career, he has hit .252 (702x2790) with 416 runs, 173 doubles, 5 triples, 154 home runs and 491 RBI in 834 games while playing left field (393 G, 388 GS), right field (328 G, 310 GS) and designated hitter (64 G, 61 GS). He was a two-time American League All-Star with the Chicago White Sox in 2008 and 2011 and finished 5th in the A.L. MVP voting in 2008.
In 2014, he was limited to a career-low 50 games after injuries led him to two stints on the disabled list, including a 39-game sting at the start of the season with a bone bruise in his left knee, and a 60-day DL stint due to left knee soreness that caused him to miss the final 58 games of the season.
Quentin attended Stanford University, where he was one of five finalists for the 2003 Golden Spikes Award. He helped the Cardinal advance to the College World Series in 2001-03, including the finals in 2003. He earned All-America honors from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and USA Today/Baseball Weekly.
He was originally drafted by Arizona in the 1st round (29th overall) pick in the 2003 June draft.