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Ex-Toronto Blue Jays pitcher announces retirement after 18 MLB seasons

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Jul 24 2025, 7:01 pm
Ex-Toronto Blue Jays pitcher announces retirement after 18 MLB seasons
Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images

A former relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays is retiring after an impressive 18-year career.

Jesse Chavez, who had two separate stints with the Blue Jays, announced on Foul Territory that he is calling it a wrap in regards to his MLB career.

“As of now, I don’t think we’re going to keep going. I think this is it. Time to turn the page, focus on the next chapter in life,” Chavez said.

“This has been a great ride. Way more than I expected [after] being a 42nd-round draft pick. I was given a gift early on, but the thing was, ‘How am I going to make it last? How can I keep it going for this long?’ And I always said, ‘I wanna go out the way I came in, being able to roll out of bed and throw a baseball.’ Fortunately, I’m still able to do that.”

Chavez’s first stint with the Blue Jays came during the 2012 season, when he was claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals. He wound up pitching 21 innings for the Jays in that stint before being dealt to the Oakland Athletics months later.

Chavez returned to the Blue Jays ahead of the 2016 season, after being acquired in a trade from the Athletics. That season saw him pitch 41.1 innings with a 4.57 ERA, before being dealt to the LA Dodgers in August.

To no surprise, given how long his career lasted, Chavez pitched a combined 1,142 innings, during which time he had a 51-66 record with a respectable 4.27 ERA. He had plenty of stops throughout his career, spending time with the Blue Jays, Royals, Athletics, Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels, and the Chicago Cubs.

Chavez spent time in the majors this season, appearing in a combined eight innings with the Braves. He was designated for assignment three separate times by the Braves this season before making his recent decision to hang up the cleats.

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