Former All-Star lefty J.A. Happ retires from baseball

Former All-Star pitcher J.A. Happ has retired from baseball, the left-hander told Jessica Lindberg's "The Heart Strong" podcast.

"Even though I had put the work in to be ready if the right situation came, I felt like it was time to move on and be a dad and dive into the kids," Happ said.

The 39-year-old said he went "back and forth for pretty much the whole winter" about playing during the 2022 campaign, but ultimately chose to move on after a conversation with his wife.

Happ said making the decision was more emotional than he expected after spending the past 15 years pitching in the majors.

The Illinois native produced a solid big-league career, earning 133 wins, including 20 victories during his best season in 2016 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Happ finished sixth in American League Cy Young voting that year.

He also pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and Seattle Mariners.