Jason Castro retires from MLB baseball
After a fifteen-year professional career, Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball
Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro took to twitter to announce his retirement from Major League Baseball on Friday, putting an end to a fifteen-year professional career that saw ups and downs.
Today, I officially announce my retirement from Major League Baseball. Over the last 15 years of pro ball, I have been blessed with many incredible opportunities and have met so many people along the way that helped me achieve more than I could have ever imagined.
— Jason Castro (@J_Castro15) December 2, 2022
To my wife and family, thank you for your love and support over the years. To my parents, thank you for the sacrifices you made to enable this dream to become a reality. To my teammates, thank you for this incredible journey and for pushing me to become a better player.
— Jason Castro (@J_Castro15) December 2, 2022
To the fans, coaches, staff, my agent and all my friends who supported me along the way…Thank you. What a way to end it.
— Jason Castro (@J_Castro15) December 2, 2022
A former Stanford University standout, Castro was taken by the Houston Astros in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft. He made his debut in the Show in 2010 and three years later was selected to the All-Star team.
After a $24.5 million move to the Minnesota Twins in 2016, Castro saw great success before tearing his meniscus in his right knee, requiring season-ending surgery.
Never quite able to come back properly from that injury, he signed a series of short contracts with the Angels and Padres before returning to Houston.
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He had a few moments where some of the old brilliance shone through, such as when the battery that he formed with Justin Verlander shut out the Mets in late June, with Castro’s two-run homer supplying the only runs of the game. But that knee injury came back to bite him and the Astros placed him on the injured list, picking up Christian Vasquez from the Red Sox a few weeks later.
Castro underwent knee surgery and now the 35 year old catcher has decided to hang up his cleats for good. He leaves the game with a career batting average of .227, an OBP of .312, and an OPS of .699. A solid glove behind the plate, Castro leaves the Astros having caught the third-most games in franchise history.