Due to the shortened season and universal DH, Ryan Braun is re-thinking his possible retirement plans.
Ryan could have been playing in his final major-league season if not because of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. But things don’t always go as planned all the time, do they?
The pandemic initially crippled all sporting activities, baseball was not an exception, it was shut down for three months and now that it has returned, Braun believes it has affected his plans.
“I would say at this point, I’m more likely to play another year than I think I would have been” he spoke to reporters on Saturday afternoon after being part of the Milwaukee Brewer’s initial work out, the Summer Camp 2020.
“To start with, we’ll play only 60 games instead of 162 games, so obviously, at this age and where I’m at in my career, it’s very appealing to me to have the option to DH for a decent percentage of my at-bats, so at this point, I feel like it’s more likely that I play another year than I anticipated a few months back” Braun added.
He was shortlisted as the fourth outfielder as well as a right-handed-hitting option in the wake of the offseason free-agent signing of Avisaíl García.
In 2019, Braun played in 144 games. He was very productive with a .285 batting average, 22 home runs and 75 RBI with an OPS of .849. He is reaching the end of the $105 million extension deal he signed with the Brewers, which includes a $15 million mutual option for 2021 and a $4 million buyout.
So with all these hullabaloos going on with the pandemic, he is just going to rest up, avoid some injuries, and still get paid, even though the Brewers may reconsider the deal.
What does he think about the possibilities? “My focus now is just for this year, trying to prepare for this season,” he said “for me personally, playing a smaller number of games is something that is beneficial, I think I’ve been able to be pretty good the last few Septembers because when I know it’s a smaller sample size we’re working with, I can just focus on sprinting to the finish line”
Braun also belives if he would play another year, it will definitely be for the Brewers.
The pandemic scare is causing players including Angel’ Mike Trout and Dodgers pitcher David Price to opt-out of the season. Brain admits that playing amidst the pandemic is a big risk. Even all-star first baseman Freddie Freeman tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday but Braun concludes that with all the top-notch medical care and detailed safety protocols, he can consider playing. Reports have it that his family is also healthy.
He also spoke about how he is adjusting to the new environment, how he spends quality time with only a few friends. He claims he and his teammates are learning to create a new type of energy for themselves.
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