Alex Avila Sets Sights On Retirement

Alex Avila in 2017
Alex Avila in 2017. Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI/Shutterstock (12405903bc)

Washington Nationals catcher Alex Avila will retire following the end of the 2021 MLB season. The 13-year MLB veteran announced the news ahead of the Nationals’ clash against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Avila revealed that he contemplated making another run in 2022 but ultimately felt “that this was the right time” to call it quits. The 34-year-old star played 29 games with the Nationals this season, batting .179 with one home run and seven RBIs.

“I went through that back-and-forth in my head, as far as if I wanted to play for another year,” said Avila via Masn Sports. “But I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while, even since last year. And just came to the conclusion after debating it with myself and my wife that this was the right time.”

Avila added that he doesn’t intend to step away from baseball despite his retirement. He hopes to continue his involvement in the sport in a non-playing role, following the footsteps of his father and Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila.

Alex Avila started his career in Detroit, playing seven seasons for the Tigers and earning an All-Star nod in 2011. He became a free agent in 2015, but his father decided he wasn’t deserving of a contract offer at the time.

Avila would return to Detroit after one year with the Chicago White Sox, but he didn’t last long in his second stint with the Tigers and was traded by Avila Sr. to the Chicago Cubs midway through the season. He later played with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Minnesota Twins before landing in Washington ahead of this season.