As of February, free-agent outfielder Ryan Braun said he wasn’t interested in continuing his playing career. That still seems to be the case, as Braun stated in a radio interview Monday that he hasn’t touched a baseball or a bat since last season ended, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets. Braun also revealed that he’s “strongly leaning” toward retirement, though he’s not ready to commit to a decision yet.
If the 37-year-old Braun does continue his career, it appears it will have to be with the Brewers – the only organization he has known since he went fifth overall in the 2015 draft. Braun admitted that he “can’t foresee a scenario in which I play for any other major league team,” per Will Sammon of The Athletic.
In the event it’s Brewers or bust for Braun, then the longtime left fielder probably is done. After all, the club already has Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich, the newly signed Jackie Bradley Jr. and Avisail Garcia as its top four outfielders. Braun has a bit of first base experience on his resume, but the Brewers are committed to Keston Hiura at that position. It would be easier to envision a Braun-Brewers reunion had the National League kept the designated hitter for 2021, but that’s not happening.
If Braun is done, he’ll exit as a six-time All-Star and a onetime MVP in his league. Braun owns a stellar .296/.358/.,532 line with 352 home runs and 216 stolen bases in 7,340 plate appearances, though he batted a career-worst .233/.281/.488 with eight HRs and one steal over 141 PA last year.
I think he’s lying.
That’s his M.O.
Every time I see a new article here about a star player, I bet someone it will include the number of times the player made the All-Star Team. Because it’s the most important advanced statistic on a website that is all about valuing players based strictly on advanced statistics. You’ll never see it mentioned that Nolan Ryan won 324 games … but I guarantee you’ll read how he’s an 8-time All Star!!!!
Most important things to remember about Braun is he cheated and then threw others under the bus covering it up. Goodbye Mr. Cheater.
Really you’re gonna be all high and mighty about all star nominations and then drop that Nolan Ryan had 324 wins like pitcher wins mean anything?
For real. Nolan Ryan went 8-16 in 1987 and should have won the Cy Young.
High and mighty because I’m calling out the hysterical hypocrisy of valuing All-Star selections so much? FACT: There were 75 players named to the bloated All-Star Team rosters in 2019. FACT: At least one player from every team must be named an All-Star. FACT: All-Star selections are largely a popularity contest. FACT: All-Star selections are largely swayed by fan attendance and lack thereof. FACT: Often mediocre players are named to All-Star teams only because of a decent start to the season. My point has always been if you’re gonna cancel Wins for having zero value when compared to other statistics, then the number of All-Star selections should also be canceled. It’s called logic.
For real, Bert Blyleven was named to only two All-Star Games. Fergie Jenkins only three. Robin Yount only three. Don Sutton only four. Richie Ashburn, Phil Niekro, Gaylord Perry, Phil Rizzuto, Hoyt Wilhelm only five. All of them HOF’ers. Were they all not as good as Ryan Braun because they made fewer All-Star teams? Let’s use logic for once.
You are the only thing hysterical thing here. Really, who cares?
You picked a good screen name. Sheesh, dry decaf, bro…
Cool facts.
It seems to me, that the disagreement was, concerning pitcher wins as a great end-all stat. Not the validity of All-stars appearances. You just had it in your head to talk about Allstar appearances.
A losing record should automatically disqualify a pitcher from winning the cy young.
@Kraz: Why? The pitcher doesn’t score the runs. In nine of Ryan’s losses in 1987, he gave up 2 or fewer earned runs. Eight more times he had no decisions where he only gave up 2 or fewer earned runs.
Former Marlins/Brewers pitcher Frankie De La Cruz passed away today at 37, any post about that?
wow, that is young.
Heart attack I’m hearing.
just played winter ball this offseason too. very unfortunate.
good
How was he the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft ????
Time travel.
I’m pretty sure Braun didn’t go 5th in my fantasy baseball draft in 2015
Don’t let the door hit you were the needle goes on the way out
And you’re probably a big Barry Bonds fan. Because incredibly most fans feel that he didn’t do anything wrong and so what if he did. Well, Bonds and Clemens were,
with A-Rod the biggest cheaters of all time. Believe it or not there are clauses in the HOF guidelines regarding integrity.
“So what if he did” cheat
…wow.
And yet Ty Cobb is in there…
There’s a major difference between Bonds, Clemens, etc. They all cheated before steroids were completley illegal in baseball. No offical testing was done on players until 2003 and were banned in 1991. Not only did Braun cheat way after testing was being done and they were added to the banned substance list, but he also threw some guy under the bus.
Good riddance!
He was the 5th pick in the 2005 draft, his last all-star appearance was in 2015
@UpUp- good catch, should read 2005
Ryan the cheater Braun has already guaranteed he’ll never be in the Hall of Fame with his 2 positive P E D tests & the destroying of a man’s career & stealing the 2011 NL MVP award & just for being an overall dirt bag
I’m trying to think of good arguments against all that. If I come up with anything, this won’t be the final sentence of this comment.
He wouldn’t sniff the HOF even if he never used a PED. The numbers just aren’t even close.
Well George, anything else you have to say? I’m a Brewers fan and my daughter and I never cheered for him again. Bonds paid off his “dealer” because he was going to testify. Yes he cheated and did not handle it gracefully but how graceful was Bonds, A-Rod and Clemens. At least he never wound up looking like the Incredible Hulk. You can’t have a double standard with these cheaters. Braun got what he deserved and I wouldn’t worry, he doesn’t have the numbers needed for the HOF. Please see my earlier remarks about the MVP in 2011
@GoingYard: You’re the only one bringing up those other guys. Trying to deflect? Kemp was robbed of the MVP.
Look, over the course of the history of the MLB there were many other players who robbed of the MVP assuming I agree which I don’t. Get over it already.
Bham-
all they seem to do is deflect, cry “what about”-isms, and say that cheating doesn’t matter. Seems legit.
GoingYard needs a tissue and a hug.
And you need a brain. I get plenty of hugs.
So ending up looking like the Incredible Hulk is a bigger sin than lying and ruining a man’s career?
Go yell at a cloud, old man. Let the real baseball fans talk.
You are such a hypocrite that this doesn’t need responding to. But I must say, how many people did Bonds throw under the bus in his attempt to deny he did anything wrong.
I have been following baseball for longer than you have lived so I don’t need to be insulted by the likes of you.
He’s not good enough to be in the HOF even with his numbers now.
He was drafted in 2005, not 2015
Come to the Mets for one final spot at the Championship!
There’s about 5 things wrong with that statement. And I’m a Mets fan
I laughed
Oh I feel sorry for you. METS My Entire Team Sucks!
DeGrom has something to say.
-Giants fan(just to be clear)
Mets fan? I’m sorry. METS My Whole Team Sucks!
MWTS?
@philliesphan77: I know, right?
Sorry my entire team sucks. I stand corrected.
@Goingyard – what have your brewers won?
This isn’t’ about the Brewers, keep to the subject.
That’s pretty funny, coming from the guy who keeps trying to change the subject and bring Bonds, Clemens, and A-Rod into a conversation that isn’t about them.
And it would been so easy to change “Whole” to “Entire” and looked kind of clever. Instead here we are.
Yeah this is the team that trade Kelenic for Cano. Nice move.
the fit here is undeniable
Hopefully, no one will marvel about his $144M career earnings, which seems to be the new measuring stick of success in MLBTR comments.
144? That’s gross
I see what you did there. Nice!
Gross? Matt Kemp made $171 million. That was gross.
“….new measuring stick of success …..”
New?
Old?
I see your Ryan Braun and raise you one Chris Davis.
Point taken, but at least Chris Davis isn’t a cheater (that we know of).
Considering nobody wants me, I think I’ll retire.
Ryan Braun is on my all time Brewers team list. It’s a weak OF by all time teams standards.
Of course Braun would be on a Brewers all-time team.
join the Dodgers and get a ring!
He would bring the Dodgers down too far
You must be forgetting Manny Ramirez. Or the war zone known as their parking lot.
Preach Halos Heaven!
Parking lot and the 2nd deck just inside the LF foul pole.
But Dodger fans are so much better now than in 2008 time frame as is the entire organization.
If Braun wanted to play this year, the decision needed to be made about 2 months ago. No room at the inn at this point, plus he’s missing all of spring training as it is. Enjoy your retirement
If the Brewers suffer a major injury I could see him coming in late.
Well….bye
Does “strongly considering” imply he dosed prior to consideration?
Lyin’ cheatin’ baby Braun retiring. Now if we can just get the nuts to topple that statute of Selig, and switch places with the Astros back to the AL, Milwaukee will be on its way to being a respectable baseball town.
Selig > Manfred
I remember when people said it couldn’t get any worse than Selig.
Manfred sure proved them wrong.
Hey Astros fan…lyin cheatin Braun? I remember the whole Astros team cheated.
Don’t you remember or do you want to pile on like the rest of these morons
Plus are you comparing us Brewers fans to nuts! You’re an idiot.
what the Astros did doesnt mean Braun isnt a cheater
LET ME SAY THIS ONE MORE TIME….I HAVE NEVER SAID HE DIDN’T CHEAT, IN FACT I SAID THAT HE GOT WHAT HE DESERVED.
No he didn’t. He got the MVP, which he didn’t deserve. He got $144M, which he didn’t deserve. He got to keep playing baseball, which he didn’t deserve. Shall I go on?
cool, no one is interested in signing you either, it works out for everyone
Gee, the phone hasn’t rung!
My agent isn’t getting any calls.
No team is returning my calls.
The handwriting is on the wall.
Guess I’ might as well retire.
That’s it !!
I can give them the old, ” Spend more time with my family explanation” !!
Wow when you rhymed “calls” with “calls” I knew we had a hit on our hands!
Lol
In summary
Braun ain’t good enough for HOF
Bonds top 5 player in history
METS suck
Bud Selig didn’t punish Braun because Bud still had his hands in the Brewers interest.
You’re full of crap. Believe what you want but Selig was never behind the scene while he was Commissioner. Who handed down his extensive suspension?
Selig get the Brewers big revenue sharing bucks. Just another used car salesman.
OMG that is so dumb! Instead of talking out of your ass please prove it to me that the Brewers got more revenue sharing than they deserved. Otherwise keep your ignorant comments to yourself.
He rigged the system so they got the most revenue sharing in baseball. Don’t believe me? Go look it up yourself.
Shyam Das was to blame. has a long history of being very pro-player in his rulings across several sports.
No one cares. Just retire already.
maybe fedex is hiring
“If only they didn’t test like the 90’s”.
I was just reading Brauns mind.
Just another druggie.
Hasn’t been the same since they took away his PEDs. Hasn’t hit over 30 HR’s since then, but did 5 of the 6 years prior.
Just a coincidence, I’m sure.
Hee, hee, hee.
My point was that Braun was still playing and if you say he had a bad year last year let me remind you that scores of other players did too, including Christian Yelich.
Most players decline after 32. That could be it too.
yeah, sure, that’s what it was
He never was the same after he was kind of forced to stop taking his injectable Flintstones Vitamins.
You jerk. Boy I have never seen this kind of vitriol over Bonds. And MarlinsFanBase shouldn’t talk. I would be embarrassed to root for a team that barely draws 13,000 a game. There will be no COVID restrictions there.There won’t be enough fans coming to worry about it.
Why do you keep bringing up Bonds? You’re still deflecting. And why are you bringing up attendance? That’s a loser’s argument.
Braun should “strongly lean” toward sending Matt Kemp the MVP trophy.
Either place an asterisk with the stats, or don’t mention stats at all.
You’re one to talk Cubs fan (oh I really feel for you if I cared). You had one of the biggest cheaters of all time, one who your fans adored. Oh by the way, was he ever suspended? Why do you think he has never been invited back to Wrigley
Kudos for the Cubs on that one
Was addressed to WrigleyHawkeye.
He was never invited back because he was a cheater and he bailed on the team.
You probably still have a Ryan Braun poster on the wall in your bedroom. You sure are defending him vigorously.
Even if that particular Cubs cheater was invited back to Wrigley, the fans wouldn’t recognize him. He changed his ethnicity. He may be mistaken for a bigger version of Michael Jackson now.
Look you creep. Apparently you haven’t read my previous posts so I will say it for the fifth time…I HAVE NEVER DEFENDED BRAUN..AND IN FACT I THINK WHAT HE DID WAS OUTRAGEOUS.I I don’t call that defending it. Now go back to your coloring books.
Lets face it.. He cheated … he’s no good for the game.. please retire and be another slugger who had ro cheat to be good… good bye bum
He and Yasiel Puig should start a league of their own.
Since the CPBL will not have either of them, the KBO won’t offer enough going to the NPB is the only other option.
I’m sure Madonna can still man CF…
Geena Davis will still be the best natural player in the league.
No he and Bonds and Clemens and A-Rod and Palmiero. Not Puig.
Yeah, Puig is allegedly just a pervert who assaults women in restrooms. I suppose you look up to him too.
The Reds should get him to play SS!
Dude still owes Matt Kemp an MVP & an apology to the lab worker he dragged through the mud trying to save his image. Good riddance.
He owes Kemp nothing. Think Bonds owes an apology for all of those he screwed over with his MVP’s?
Plus apparently voted for himself instead of the baseball writers.You have a beef take it up with them
You keep bringing up Bonds. Why is that? We’re talking about Braun. And yes, Braun owes Kemp an apology, and the MVP trophy.
Mike Greenwell is waiting for an apology from Canseco.
Well, he had a long career, a couple of real good seasons… Sure, he threw a guy under the bus to save his own butt, but what the heck. He’s probably earned the right to spin “nobody has offered me a thing” into “I’m leaving on my own terms.”
I’m just commenting hoping Goingyard will respond. I think Braun is a cheater and I’m glad he’s out of the league.
I’m glad Bonds is a cheater and won’t get into the HOF. And why are all you morons think I am defending him. Didn’t you read or can’t you read my repeated comments on this.
Every time you mention Bonds, it’s perforce a defense of Braun. Why can’t you see that?
Unpopular opinion…. Bench for the Braves plz…
Unpopular isn’t the word.
Obviously after his contract expired the Brewers no longer wanted him. No one else does either. I’m sure he was hoping for universal DH and a phone call that was never going to come. Any hall of fame talk must be sarcastic. Even if he was a model citizen his numbers are far far away from HOF numbers. Hope to never see him in uniform again.
I wonder how Ryan Braun sleeps at night. Imagine going through life with his baggage.
Well I’m about to leave this post and go where the posters have an IQ higher than 10. Good riddance.
Typical.
“When you meet one person who acts like an ahole, then that person is probably an ahole. When every person you meet is an ahole, then you’re the ahole.”
Look around homer, nobody agrees with your terrible takes, and no matter how much you shriek and cry, it’s not going to change. Be gone!
East to retire when nobody wants you lyin cheatin self.
GOOD!!!
Ok then so bye Felicia. You will not be missed, you will not be celebrated, the baseball world is waiting for you to disappear.
Piece. Of. Crap.
This article’s writer avoided the Braunoid scandal. I think the purpose was to flower the dude for a potential HOF bid. The Brewers and MLB already massaged Braunoid to a happy ending. please stop the steal. Perhaps the run is over, thankfully.
THIS IS WHY WE NEED A DH. I hate baseball and how bass ackwards it is.
Since you hate baseball, you could leave here and never come back.
Just a thought.
Should any of else feel sad that this cheater who got caught yet instead of manning up decided that his intitled ass could try to blame and innocent man and ruin his life.. good bye ,,, see ya later your quite the stand up man!!!! on the big stage your struck out on dignity and pride, but on the good side your a lock in to the hall of shame..
Must be having a hard time finding performance enhancing drugs during these COVID times. Such a scum bag, game is better without him.
After Braun has retirement forced on him, he should become a specimen taker and see how the other half lives.