Minnesota Twins: Joe Mauer’s exit one of many this season

The Minnesota Twins had an incredible moment for Joe Mauer on Sunday, and he’s one of many big names that could be done in baseball after 2018

Minnesota Twins star Joe Mauer was able to don the catcher’s gear for what very well could be the final inning of his major league career on Sunday. Sunday may have been the final day for a number of big names around the league.

The 2018 season will go down as one for rookies. This season’s group of rookies is one of the most dominant classes of young players to enter the league at one time since racial integration in the game, and many have remarked about the influx of young, exciting talent.

Instead, though, 2018 could go down as a season that sent off a host of big-time talent. With the emotional moment the Minnesota Twins put together for Joe Mauer getting plenty of publicity on Sunday, it almost let folks forget that Saturday was another big moment in New York.

We’re going to take the time to take a look at all the big names that have already established that they will not be back in 2019, and we’ll follow that up with a handful of players that could possibly have played their last major league game on Sunday.

The list includes one certain Hall of Fame player, one borderline Hall of Fame player, and as many as a handful of guys who will get very serious Hall of Fame consideration. If all choose to leave after this season, the ballot in five years could be very, very stuffed!

Let’s start with that emotional Minnesota Twins tribute…

A potential Hall of Famer

He’s only 35. Defensively, he’s been one of the best first basemen in the league the last two seasons. However, the time may have come for Joe Mauer to step away from baseball.

The former #1 overall pick out of high school in the Twin Cities area, Mauer has been able to play his entire 15-year career with his hometown squad, something definitely rare in this era. He’ll retire as one of the best players in the history of the organization, ranking in the top five in Twins organization history in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, RBI, and on base.

However, since becoming a dad, fittingly to twins, Mauer has had his mind on more than just the game. It helped push his move off of the catcher position after multiple issues with concussions. Once his little girls burst out pre-game in order to hug their daddy, it was pretty obvious that a decision might have been made already, but we just haven’t been privy to it…yet.

Then came the 9th inning.

Mauer came out of the dugout in full catcher’s gear to receive the pitch from Matt Belisle, who very possibly pitched in his last MLB game on Sunday. Mauer acknowledged the thunderous applause from Minnesota Twins fans, acknowledged the opponent dugout for allowing the moment to happen, and then received the first pitch from Belisle.

He caught the ball and then ran out to the mound, immediately embracing Belisle. Mauer was then removed to even more applause from the grateful hometown Minnesota Twins fans. It was a fitting tribute to a player who, in this author’s opinion, should be making his next emotional baseball moment at Cooperstown.

Just don’t pat his head!

He’s also not officially announced it, but the heavy rumors are that Sunday were the last time that we will see Adrian Beltre on the field.

After seeing Chipper Jones go into the Hall of Fame this summer, the guy who most would put next to Chipper as the best player to man the hot corner over the last 25 years is Beltre. He finishes the 2018 season with a career .286/.339/.480 line. He’s hit 477 home runs, totaled 3,166 hits, and won two Platinum Gloves in his career.

There’s simply little that Beltre has not been able to do in his career…well, except take anyone touching his head:

One of the best-spirited, most-fun players in the entire game, Beltre will be sorely missed for his on-field love of the game and the joy he brought to the field every day, but he didn’t just love the game, he excelled at it.

Of those who played at least half of their career games at third base, Beltre ranks 1st in hits and RBI, 2nd in doubles, and 3rd in runs and home runs. Beltre won’t just be in the Hall of Fame when the time comes. He will be discussed among the best third basemen ever.

A superstar rat

For a lot of their careers, David Wright and Adrian Beltre could have been spoken in the same breath without anyone blushing. Then Wright hit 30.

Through his age-30 season, David Wright had a .301/.382/.506 slash line with 222 career home runs and 183 stolen bases, showing incredible power and speed along with elite defense at the hot corner. He was talked about in the same breath as Chipper and Beltre.

The signs were there, though, at the end of the 2013 season. Wright had missed over 50 games in 2011 and 2013 both. He rebounded to play 134 in 2014, but he was not right all season.

Wright would go on to play just 75 games over the next two seasons and missed all of 2017. The all-effort, hard-nosed Wright was sorely absent as the Mets began to eat themselves away internally with player complaints to management and manager/ownership issues.

His return for two games to end 2018 did not result in a hit, though Wright did get a walk, so he was able to get on base. More importantly, Wright got to walk off the field in uniform rather than be forced off by injury.

There will be another verse for David Wright. He just is not the type who will be happy in a booth, so it would not be surprising if Wright is managing in the minor leagues quickly and a major league manager down the road as he has always carried extreme respect in the clubhouse.

Three long-time second base studs

Because he made the announcement mid-season that this would be his last, Chase Utley‘s departure from the game has gone much more quietly over the weekend than it really should have. One of the absolute elite 2B in his prime, Utley has been an invaluable veteran for the Dodgers over the last half-decade.

From 2005-2009, there was not another second baseman that could touch Utley’s production. An excellent glove man, he produced a .301/.388/.535 line during that time, averaging 29 home runs and 15 stolen bases over those five seasons. Injuries tampered down his overall career numbers, but with a career .275/.358/.465 line, 259 home runs, and 154 stolen bases, Utley will get plenty of consideration for Cooperstown when his name hits the ballot, though likely he will fall short.

Two seasons ago, it would have been sacrilege to consider that Dustin Pedroia could be on his way out of baseball after 2018. He’s just turned 35 years old in August, so he’s not by any means old, but with just 3 games played in 2018 after missing 50+ games in 2017 and 2015, it could be time for Pedroia to hang up the cleats.

If he does, he’ll take the heartbeat of the Red Sox club with him, having been a member of the BoSox his whole career, hitting .300/.366/.440 with over 1,800 hits, nearly 400 doubles, and just short of 150 home runs. There won’t be a Cooperstown spot in his future, but like Utley, he’ll definitely get strong consideration from many places.

After an unceremonious exit from Cincinnati after the 2016 season, Brandon Phillips appeared done after a 2017 season that saw him play for the Braves and Angels. Instead, when Pedroia could not return, Phillips was signed by the Red Sox, and after struggling in just 9 games with Boston, he may have reached that time when he hangs up his spikes.

When he does, he’ll go down as one of the best defensive second basemen of the last 25 years, and he was no slouch offensively, either, finishing the 2018 season with a .275/.320/.420 career line with over 2,000 career hits, over 200 home runs, and over 200 stolen bases. Only 5 second basemen have reached the 2,000/200/200 line, and the other four are in the Hall of Fame.

Former offensive catchers bowing out

When Victor Martinez joined the Cleveland Indians as a 23-year-old in 2002, the bat was excellent, but the Indians could not get his glove onto the field. He worked hard behind the plate, but being in a league with a DH was his friend for sure over his career.

Regardless of his glovework level, it’s hard to deny the impact of Victor Martinez over his 16-year career. He announced earlier this season that he would hang it up, and he has really seen his power disappear in the last couple of seasons, bringing his career batting average under .300 unfortunately. He will retire with a .295/.360/.455 line with 246 home runs.

While there are no indications whatsoever that he’s considering retirement, the lackluster catcher market and the way his own club sought out multiple options to replace him behind the plate can’t leave Brian McCann feeling very safe heading into free agency this offseason.

For 14 seasons, McCann has been one of the most impressive offensive backstops in the league, hitting .263/.338/.454 with 270 home runs, but his production has slipped significantly with Houston, and he’s going to be 35 before the 2019 season. With the right club looking for a mentor for a young catcher and the ability to DH now and then, McCann could have a few more years as a part for a team, but he may prefer to be a starter or hang them up, and the latter may be his only available option in those two choices this offseason.

Two pitchers beloved online

After a horrid 2017, Bartolo Colon returned to reach milestones that he wanted to achieve for the most wins by a Dominican pitcher and by a Latin pitcher with the Texas Rangers.

With only numerical milestones left to achieve at 45 years old, it’s hard to imagine “Big Sexy” would be back, especially after back to back seasons of 6.48 ERA and 5.78 ERA, but Colon is one of the most-respected players in the game and one of the most beloved by the baseball fan community, so he will definitely be welcomed back if he chooses to return. It will just be a matter of actually finding a team to sign him!

After an injury-riddled time with Los Angeles, Brandon McCarthy was looking forward to a new start with the Atlanta Braves in 2018, and it showed right away. Through the end of April, McCarthy had made 6 starts for the Braves, going 4-0 with a 3.09 ERA over 32 innings and a 12/25 BB/K ratio.

Shoulder injury set in on McCarthy, this time such that he would likely lose another season to rehab before being ready in 2020. Rather than doing that, McCarthy has chosen to hang it up, in spite of having plenty of life in his 35-year-old arm.

Losing McCarthy takes away one of the best players on social media, as Brandon (and his wife) is able to negotiate the minefield that is social media with wit and intelligence.