New York Mets: Aaron Laffey retires after disastrous AAA outing
After his disastrous outing on Wednesday for the AAA Las Vegas 51s, New York Mets pitcher Aaron Laffey knew his career was at an end.
The baseball gods can be a cruel and capricious bunch. They have a way of letting everyone, from the former ace to the journeyman player clinging to the end of the bench, when their time has come. For New York Mets pitcher Aaron Laffey, the baseball gods made sure there were no questions that it was time to walk away.
Signed out of the independent Atlantic League due to the Mets lack of pitching depth at AAA, Laffey had struggled in his first two outings, allowing 15 runs, 14 earned, in his first ten innings. However, that could be explained as an adjustment period, as he needed to get used to better competition. His performance on Wednesday, where he allowed 14 runs, 12 earned, in just three innings, left no question that Laffey that he was done. Understandably, he retired immediately after the game.
Aaron Laffey retired after Wednesday night's game. He had an 18.00 ERA in three starts with the 51s.
— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) June 7, 2018
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A veteran of eight seasons in the majors, and 16 years overall, Laffey was quite the journeyman. He played in 12 different organizations, including the Mets and Nationals twice. Laffey’s baseball journey took him to the Mexican League, and he made two different stops with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League. Overall, during the course of his time in the majors, Laffey posted a 4.44 ERA and a 1.519 WHiP, striking out 245 batters against 199 walks in 494.1 innings.
Laffey was better in the minors, existing as one of those pitchers who straddled the line between AAA and the majors. He spent parts of 12 seasons at the AAA level, and only never had a season where he spent the entire year in the majors. He was a solid depth piece, a player that fit nicely as a long reliever or spot starter in an organization.
Yet, he may be remembered more for how his career ended than anything he accomplished in those 16 years. The baseball gods certainly were not kind, throwing him out a window instead of gently showing him the door. This outing was the baseball equivalent of being sent through the Mexican wrestling announcer’s table, and hit with several metal chairs.
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New York Mets pitcher Aaron Laffey has retired after a truly disastrous stint in Las Vegas. It may not have been the way he wanted his career to end, but there cannot be any questions that it is time to walk away.