Beltran, newly minted World Series champ, announces retirement

Less than two weeks after winning the first World Series title of his illustrious career, Carlos Beltran - the nine-time All-Star who built a compelling Hall of Fame case over his 20 years in the big leagues - has decided to call it quits, announcing his retirement Monday in a Players' Tribune article:

I am blessed to have played this game for 20 years.

I am blessed to have played for so many great organizations.

I am blessed to have shared all of my experiences with my wife and my three kids, my family and friends. To have so many loving fans. To have been able to build a school in Puerto Rico and change the lives of so many kids. To have won the Roberto Clemente Award, which is the greatest honor I could have ever received as a ballplayer.

And I am blessed to be a champion.

But now, my time as a player has come to an end.

In his two decades in the majors, Beltran, a second-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in 1995, consistently ranked as one of the game's elite outfielders, winning the American League Rookie of the Year award four years after being drafted, and then adding three Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards to his sparkling resume. Across stints with seven different teams, Beltran slashed .279/.350/.486 (119 OPS+) in 2,586 games, compiling 2,725 hits - third-most ever by a Puerto Rico native - with 435 home runs and 565 doubles to go along with 312 stolen bases. Among center fielders, only eight players have amassed more career WAR than Beltran (67.2), whose combination of hitting ability, power, and speed was nearly unrivaled, and who will be remembered as one of the most gifted switch-hitters of all time.

This past winter, following another strong campaign with the New York Yankees, Beltran - frustrated at having never won the big one - received a one-year offer from the Houston Astros and "could not pass it up." Though the 40-year-old recorded the worst statistical season of his career in 2017, managing a meager .666 OPS with 14 homers in 129 games, he was rewarded for his perseverance with that elusive World Series title, as his Astros toppled the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. Afterward, he wept on the field at Dodger Stadium.

"It's a blessing, there's no doubt about that," Beltran told MLB.com. "Having an opportunity to be in that position, it means a lot to me, my family and the people that have supported me throughout my career. I'm happy to experience this moment. It's a great thing."