Aug 28, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances (68) in the dugout against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The exit music is playing for one former star reliever.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Wednesday that four-time All-Star Dellin Betances is retiring from Major League Baseball. Betances, 34, had been in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization this season but was just released after posting a gruesome 10.26 ERA in the minor leagues.
Debuting in the majors in 2011, Betances had his peak years with the New York Yankees, becoming one of baseball’s best bullpen arms. The righty made the All-Star team in every single season from 2014 to 2017 and regularly roared into the triple digits with his fastball.
But Betances developed issues in his throwing shoulder in 2019 and fell off quickly (also hastened by a partial Achilles tear in September of that year). He spent a couple of uneventful seasons with the New York Mets before signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers last offseason.
While this figures to be the end of the line for Betances as a pitcher, he may now want to try his hand at a different skill instead.