Veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin announced via social media on Monday that he has decided to retire from his playing career.
Maybin 34, was the Tigers' first-round draft pick out of high school in 2005, moved quickly through the minors and was ranked as high as sixth as a prospect by Baseball America. He debuted for the Tigers at age 20 in 2007, appearing in 24 games.
Maybin then was traded. He, along with Andrew Miller, was one of the centerpieces in the trade that brought Miguel Cabrera to Detroit from the Marlins. After three years with the Marlins, Maybin then spent four seasons with the Padres before becoming a journeyman. He ended up playing for 10 teams in his 15-year career.
He never quite stuck as an everyday player, though he did have a 4.4 WAR season with the Padres in 2011. As his career went along, Maybin made himself into a productive bench player, filling in at any of the three outfield spots or being available as a pinch runner.
In all, Maybin hit .254/.323/.374 (92 OPS+) with 973 hits, 187 steals and 556 runs scored in his career. He played for three playoff teams, including the 2019 Yankees, 2020 Cubs and the 2017 World Series champion Astros. He was 3 for 3 in stolen base attempts in his postseason career and scored four runs. He rarely got the chance to bat, but he slashed .267/.353/.467 in his 17 plate appearances.
Perhaps most importantly, Maybin was very well regarded as a teammate and professional at every stop in his career. Though he never became a star, he lasted 15 years in a league with an average shelf life a mere fraction of that. Kudos to him for that.
