Blue Jays' surprise star announces retirement after 9 MLB seasons

When Whit Merrifield joined the Blue Jays in a trade from Kansas City, he was scuffling through the worst season of his MLB career.

Something about Toronto revitalized Merrifield, though. He hit .274 with 16 homers, 32 doubles and 27 steals in 189 games with the Blue Jays spread across a season-and-a-half.

That included 2023 AL All-Star honors.

Merrifield would spend 2024 with the Phillies and Braves.

On Tuesday, he announced his retirement from MLB after nine seasons.

“Hey guys,” Merrifield writes on X. “You all should know that I decided a while back to retire. When it came down to it, it was an easy decision. Many factors played a role in my decision, but the main one was a 6 pound 6 ounce gift from God my wife and I were blessed with in March of 2024. I was never talented enough to just show up and play. Baseball required my full focus and energy for me to compete at the level I wanted to, and I realize I can no longer give that effort. At this point in life, I’d much rather chase around a toddler than chase sliders.” 

Merrifield was originally a ninth-round pick out of South Carolina who made the most of his talent.

He didn't make his MLB debut until he was 27. But in that first year, he batted .283, and the standout career was underway.

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Merrifield twice led the American League in hits (192 in 2018, 206 in 2019), had a league-best 10 triples in 2019, three times led the AL in steals (34, 45, 40) and was a .286 hitter in seven seasons with the Royals.

His All-Star season in Toronto included 27 doubles, 11 homers and 26 steals with a .272 average.

Merrifield finished his MLB career with 1,249 hits and 218 stolen bases. He made about $35 million.

Toronto probably thought it was just kicking the tires on an aging player in decline when it made the deal for Merrifield in 2022.

He turned out to be a surprise star for the Blue Jays, a fun extra chapter on Whit's cool MLB career.

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