Catcher J.P. Arencibia, perhaps most famous for his record-setting big-league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010, has retired from baseball.
The 31-year-old, who split his 2016 season between the Triple-A affiliates of Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, made the announcement on his Twitter account Wednesday afternoon.
"I really never could take a walk in my career but this walk will be my biggest yet. I'm walking away from baseball," Arencibia wrote. "I've been blessed to play the game I love professionally for 10 years with six of those seasons in the MLB. I have done everything with hard work and no short cuts.
"So many great memories, nothing bigger than my debut in Toronto. Thank you to the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, and Tampa Bay Rays for giving me a chance to live my dream. Toronto and Canada will always hold the biggest part of my heart, I always felt at home there."
The Blue Jays' first draft pick in 2007, Arencibia's debut on Aug. 7, 2010 at Rogers Centre memorably etched his name into baseball's record books. He homered on the first pitch of his career and finished the day 4-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs to become the first player since 1900 to hit two home runs and record four hits in his big-league debut.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Arencibia was the Blue Jays' starting catcher from 2011-13, but declining production and poor defense led the team to cut him after a disastrous 2013 season. He started 2014 as the Rangers' No. 1 catcher but failed to hold the job, and most recently appeared in 24 games with Tampa Bay in 2015.
Arencibia finishes his big-league career with a .212/.258/.412 slash line, 80 home runs, 245 RBIs, 484 strikeouts, and 85 walks. He also represented the United States at the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
