Roberto Perez, 2-time Gold Glove-winning catcher for Cleveland, retires after 10 MLB seasons
FILE -San Francisco Giants' Roberto Perez calls time out against the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, April 7, 2023. Credit: AP/Eric Risberg
Roberto Perez, a two-time Gold Glove-winning catcher who spent eight of his 10 major league seasons with Cleveland, has announced his retirement.
Perez, 37, made his major league debut in 2014. The Puerto Rico native had a career .207 batting average with 55 home runs and 193 RBIs.
“While this decision was not an easy one, I feel confident that it is the right time to step away and begin the next chapter of my life,” Perez said Tuesday in a social media post. “I leave the game with nothing but respect and appreciation for everything it has given me.”
He helped Cleveland reach the World Series in 2016, hitting two homers as the franchise lost to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.
Perez had his best offensive season in 2019, batting .239 with 24 homers and 63 RBIs. He won Gold Gloves in 2019 and in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
He played for Pittsburgh in 2022 and San Francisco in 2023. More recently, he played in the Puerto Rican Winter League and the Mexican League.
Perez helped Puerto Rico to a runner-up finish in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
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