Relief pitcher Wade Davis, 36, who earned a World Series ring with the Kansas City Royals in 2015 as well as three All-Star Team selections, announced his retirement from the game after 13 big league seasons.
A third round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004, Davis made his big league debut with Tampa (by then renamed the Rays) in 2009. After two so-so seasons in the starting rotation, the Rays converted Davis into a reliever in 2012 and thrived in this role. Following the 2012 season, the Rays traded Davis along with James Shields to the Kansas City Royals for pitchers Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi and outfielder Will Myers.
The Royals put Davis back into the starting rotation in 2013 where he again struggled into late in the season. In 2014, Davis became the team's 8th inning set up man to Greg Holland en route to the AL pennant. Davis would serve the same role for most of the 2015 season until Holland was shut down late in the season due to Tommy John surgery making Davis the closer for the team's World Series title in 2015. Davis would save 27 games as the team's closer in 2016 before being traded to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Jorge Soler prior to the 2017 season. In his only season at Wrigley, Davis saved 32 games.
Prior to the 2018 season, Davis signed a three year, $52 million deal with the Colorado Rockies. Davis would lead the NL in saves with 43 in 2018, but his performance would decline dramatically in both 2019 and the COVID shortened 2020 seasons. Davis would return to the Royals in 2021 but proved no more effective posting a ghastly 6.75 ERA in 40 appearances. No doubt Davis believed his performance would not improve and chose to retire. In 557 career appearances, Davis went 63-55 with a 3.94 ERA along with 141 saves along with 929 strikeouts in 990.1 innings pitched. Here is some of his work during the 2014 season when he emerged as one of baseball's best relievers.
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