Report: Buehrle not planning to sign, but won't retire yet

Mark Buehrle, the veteran left-hander who fell just shy of his 15th straight 200-inning season last year, isn't planning to sign with a team for the 2016 campaign, but the five-time All-Star isn't ready to retire just yet, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.

In November, Bob Elliot of the Toronto Sun reported that Buehrle would retire this offseason if he was unable to land a deal with the Cardinals, his hometown club, but the 36-year-old appears to be leaving the door open for a potential comeback despite failing to catch on in St. Louis.

Buehrle, who made his MLB debut back in 2000, enjoyed another fine season last summer, crafting a 3.81 ERA (104 ERA+) with a 1.24 WHIP over 32 starts for the Toronto Blue Jays. His velocity tailed off markedly as the season progressed, however, contributing to a lousy second half (4.54 ERA) that compelled Blue Jays manager John Gibbons to omit Buehrle from Toronto's postseason roster.

Still, the former 38th-round pick has remained both durable and reasonably effective despite the considerable mileage on his arm, logging another season without a trip to the disabled list in 2015 while posting an above-average ERA for the second time in the last three years.