Kiermaier to retire after '24 season: 'When you know, you know'

TORONTO -- This is Kevin Kiermaier’s last ride.

The 34-year-old said on Wednesday that he will retire following the 2024 season, capping a 12-year MLB career.

“When you know, you know, and I know it’s time,” Kiermaier said after the Blue Jays' 6-3 win over the Rays at Rogers Centre. “Playing on this turf all these years, it’s beaten me up, but I’m so happy with how everything has played out, and it’s not done yet. I don’t know what’s going to happen with me with the state of our team in the next week, but if I’m on a roster, I’m going to give it all like I always do.”

It’s been a remarkable run for one of the best defenders of this generation, who was originally selected by the Rays in the 31st round of the 2010 Draft out of Parkland College in Illinois.

Kiermaier was a fan favorite in St. Petersburg for a decade, a staple on those Rays teams through some thin seasons before the club evolved into a perennial postseason contender beginning in 2018. He was part of four postseason runs with the Rays, including their World Series run in '20, when they fell to the Dodgers. Kiermaier appeared in 914 career regular-season games for the Rays, so it’s only fitting that this news came with his former club in town.

“I’ve always wanted to be the best teammate possible,” Kiermaier said. “I always wanted to show my teammates, coaches, everyone, that when crap hits the fan, you can count on me. I might not get the job done up there at the plate, but I’m going to handle it like a pro. I wanted people to know that they could rely on me.”

His second act has come in Toronto, where he’s been a central piece in the Blue Jays’ efforts to become one of baseball’s best defensive teams. With Kiermaier playing alongside Daulton Varsho, one of the few ballplayers on the planet who can hold a candle to him defensively, the Blue Jays have had one of the best outfields in baseball.

“On the other side, he was easy to hate, because he took so many hits away. He was a pain in the ass,” said manager John Schneider. “Knowing him as a player, as a husband and father over the last year and a half, and as a guy in the clubhouse, he is the ultimate professional. He means a lot to this group, and he is one of the best center fielders of this era, for the last 10 years, if not the best.”

Kiermaier has won four Gold Glove Awards and a Platinum Glove through his career.

First signed to a one-year, $9 million deal for 2023, Kiermaier came back for a second season with the Blue Jays in '24. Coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career at 33, Kiermaier’s numbers have dipped noticeably this season, with a .191 average and .544 OPS, but there are still a few blank pages left in Kiermaier’s career.

With the Blue Jays at 46-55 entering Thursday, clearly positioned as sellers ahead of the July 30 Trade Deadline, Kiermaier is an obvious candidate to be dealt. The Blue Jays placed Kiermaier on waivers earlier this month and he remained with the club after going unclaimed, but there’s still the potential that a contender adds Kiermaier as a reserve outfielder and defensive specialist who can contribute on the bases down the stretch.