Josh Willingham, who has struggled with injuries while seeing his production plummet during the past two seasons, is “100 percent retiring” after the season according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Berardino covered Willingham in Minnesota before he was traded to Kansas City, and between the two stops the 35-year-old outfielder has hit .218 with 14 homers and a .750 OPS in 91 games.
Willingham can still smack the occasional homer and draw walks, but he has a .212 batting average dating back to last season and has gone from terrible to totally immobile in left field. He’d fit somewhere as a part-time designated hitter, but apparently Willingham would rather call it quits after 11 seasons, 195 homers, and $35 million in earnings.
Willingham posted an OPS above .800 every season from 2006 to 2012, the last of which was a career-year with the Twins hitting .260 with 35 homers and an .890 OPS in 145 games.