Former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay announces retirement

There was a time when Jon Jay was the type of player that teams loved to have in their lineup. The St. Louis Cardinals outfielder had a solid contact oriented approach, an ability to play all three spots in the outfield, and an ability to get on base. Jay may not have been a star, but he was a key piece during the Cardinals’ run of success at the beginning of the previous decade.

Those days are long in the past. Jay has become a part time player, if that, over the past few years, with just 70 major league appearances since the start of the 2019 season. He had also become a baseball vagabond, drifting from team to team after his time with the Cardinals ended, never staying with a franchise for more than a year.

Former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay announces retirement

Now 37 years old, the opportunities just were not there for Jay any longer. His playing time had disappeared, and teams just were not interested. Jay saw the writing on the wall and, instead of holding out hope, has announced his retirement.

Jay had a solid career. He was a part of the 2011 Cardinals’ World Series team and reached the postseason six times in his first seven years in the majors. He posted a lifetime .283/.348/.373 batting line in his 4315 plate appearances, notching 1087 hits and 185 doubles.

He was also a solid defensive outfielder. While advanced metrics may not be as keen on Jay’s performance, he made virtually every play he could get to, with just nine errors in his 2139 chances. His .9958 fielding percentage is the best in MLB history amongst outfielders, beating Darin Erstad by .0003 percentage points.

Former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay has announced his retirement. We wish him the best of luck as he heads off into the sunset.