San Diego Padres: Jered Weaver announces his retirement

After 12 MLB seasons, San Diego Padres and former Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver announced his retirement from the game.

With a little over a month and a half left in the 2017 MLB season, San Diego Padres pitcher Jered Weaver announced that he’s walking away from the game and retiring. Weaver played 12 seasons in the big leagues with both the Padres and Angels.

Both Weaver and the Padres announced the retirement via Twitter.

Although the right-hander finished his career in San Diego, a majority of his time in MLB came with the Angels. His first 11 seasons took place in Anaheim.

The Angels didn’t re-sign Weaver when his contract expired at the end of the 2016 season. The Padres then signed Weaver to a one-year, $3 million deal for the 2017 season. He pitched in just nine games for the Padres before injuring his hip and landing on the DL.

Weaver’s career stat line includes a 150-98 record with a 3.63 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 1.191 WHIP and 1,621 strikeouts.

Unlike the end of his career, the start of Weaver’s career throughout his prime included dominance. In 2006, Weaver’s rookie season, he finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting after posting an 11-2 record with a 2.56 ERA and 105 strikeouts.

In his age-27 season (2010), Weaver hit his prime and pitched the best season of his young career. He made his first All-Star team that season and put up a stat line that included a 13-12 record with a 3.01 ERA and an AL-leading 233 strikeouts. Weaver finished fifth in the Cy Young voting that season.

He was even better the following season. The Angels’ ace made the All-Star team again in 2011 and sported an 18-8 record with a 2.41 ERA and 198 strikeouts. He finished behind Justin Verlander for second in the Cy Young race.

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During the 2011 season, Weaver signed a five-year, $85 million contract extension with the Angels. He took less money to stay with the Angels and didn’t test the free agent market. With his performance over the past few seasons, Weaver could have signed a much higher deal, but he stayed loyal to the Angels.

Weaver’s pay cut allowed the Angels to sign players like Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, though it didn’t lead to the team winning any championships in that time.

In 2012, Weaver made the All-Star team for a third straight season and finished third for the Cy Young Award behind David Price and Verlander. His stats in 2012 included an AL-best 20 wins with a 2.81 ERA and 142 strikeouts.

The righty also pitched well in 2013 and 2014 but started to lose his velocity toward the 2015 season. He no longer owned a dominant fastball in his final three seasons and started to reinvent himself as a deceptive soft-thrower.

When Weaver’s Angels career ended, he finished with the second-most wins in Angels history with 150.

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In 2017 with the Padres, Weaver owned a 0-5 record with a 7.44 ERA and 23 strikeouts. Not a picture-perfect ending for the right-hander. Overall, though, an impressive career for Weaver.