ARLINGTON, TX: On Friday, September 6, Elvis Andrus will formally retire from the game of baseball as a Ranger. Before the Angels game that day, he will toss out the first pitch. Andrus discussed the factors in essentially terminating his playing career in an interview with Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News last week.
The 36-year-old admitted to Grant that he had initially maintained his fitness following his release from Arizona in case he was offered an MLB opportunity by another team. He reduced the intensity of his workout after a few weeks.
“Being in the big leagues was always a blessing, but the game has changed, players have changed, teammates changed,” Andrus noted. “Everybody is in their early 20s. Everybody I grew up with is out now. The last five years, I’ve seen all the guys that were my closest friends retire. Over the last few years, I found myself thinking: ‘When is it going to be my time?’
“I thought this was going to be a depressing journey, but it’s been amazing,” he added. “I really thought it was going to be harder to be away, but I’ve really been at peace and I’m at peace with the next decision about the next journey.”
Andrus, a Venezuelan amateur who was signed by the Braves, became a top prospect very fast. The 2007 blockbuster that sent Mark Teixeira to Atlanta featured him and Jarrod Saltalamacchia as the stars of Texas' comeback.
Andrus made it to the majors prior to turning twenty-one. By 2009, he was the starting shortstop for the Rangers, batting .267 in 145 games. Andrus came in second place to Andrew Bailey in the Rookie of the Year voting for that particular season.
Early in the 2013 campaign, the Rangers made Andrus a franchise shortstop commitment. Texas signed him to an eight-year contract that included two opt-out opportunities and a $120MM guarantee.
Andrus continued to be a mainstay in the Ranger infield. He played almost every game, batted for good averages, and was a solid shortstop. He was never much of a power threat, but in what was likely his greatest season in 2017, he reached 20 home runs with a slash line of .297/.337/.471 and 88 RBI.
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