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Rockies reliever LaTroy Hawkins announced he'll retire after next season in an interview on MLB Network's "Hot Stove" on Friday morning.
"Next Sunday, I'll be 42, and 2015 will be my last year playing professional baseball," Hawkins said on the show. His option for 2015, worth $2.25 million, was picked up by the Rockies on Halloween. The veteran right-hander was one of few Colorado players to remain healthy and produce strong results throughout 2014, finishing the year with 3.31 ERA and 23 saves in 57 appearances.
Hawkins is one of the hardest working individuals in the game, as evidenced by his near-daily Instagram videos depicting his intense workout regimen. The effort has paid off; in 20 big league seasons, Hawkins has made exactly 1,000 appearances and owns a career 105 ERA+.
He won't get the same kind of send off that Todd Helton received when he retired, but Hawkins was a very integral part of the game during the two decades he spent playing it. I know I'll be paying a little more attention to each of his outings this season, recognizing that the end of a solid and truly unique career is near.