Longtime Houston Astros, Cleveland Guardians Star Michael Brantley Announces Retirement
Outfielder Michael Brantley has decided to retire from MLB, he announced Friday morning.
Brantley spent 10 years with the then-Cleveland Indians before rounding out his career with five years as a member of the Houston Astros. The 36-year old veteran was a five-time All-Star and one-time Silver Slugger.
“I have young kids, and now it’s time to be a dad, first and foremost,” Brantley told MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. “It’s time for me to be home 24/7, watch my kids grow up and not miss important milestones.”
The Milwaukee Brewers selected Brantley in the seventh round of the 2005 MLB Draft. In 2008, he was used as a player to be named later in the famed deadline deal that sent CC Sabathia from the Indians to the Brewers.
Brantley slowly worked his way into Cleveland’s lineup, making his big league debut in 2009 but not becoming a true everyday player until 2011. By 2014, Brantley was an All-Star and Silver Slugger who finished third in AL MVP voting. He hit .327 with 20 home runs, 97 RBI, 23 stolen bases, an .890 OPS and a 7.0 WAR that season.
Although Brantley strung together another good year in 2015, he needed to undergo shoulder surgery in the offseason. He returned in time for the start of 2016, but his shoulder required a follow up procedure that wound up costing him the rest of the season.
As a result, Brantley was not part of the Indians team that made it to Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. Without Brantley, Cleveland lost to the Chicago Cubs in that year’s Fall Classic.
Brantley signed a two-year, $32 million deal with the Astros ahead of the 2019 campaign, which ended in a World Series trip that the outfielder actually got to take part in. Houston lost to the Washington Nationals, however, and when Brantley re-signed and helped the Astros make it back to the World Series in 2021, they lost again to the Atlanta Braves.
That year marked Brantley’s final All-Star selection as well, since he played just 64 regular season games in 2022 and only 15 in 2023 due to additional shoulder issues. Brantley was unable to take the field for the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, but he did manage to finally get his championship ring when the Astros came out on top.
Brantley finished his 15-year MLB career with 1,656 hits, 129 home runs, 720 RBI, 125 stolen bases and a 34.3 WAR. He was a .298 lifetime hitter with a .794 OPS.
In the clubhouse, Brantley was heralded as one of baseball’s best teammates. He earned the nicknames “Uncle Mike” and “Dr. Smooth.
