Five Former All-Stars Who May Enter Forced Retirement in 2025

Major League Baseball can be a cruel business. No matter how good a player once was, Father Time eventually catches them.

Few players are fortunate enough to have the longevity to retire on their own terms. The others face the harsh reality of no longer being good enough to get offered a contract, effectively forced into their own retirement.

There are five former All-Stars who might be in that exact situation. Anthony Rizzo, J.D. Martinez, José Abreu, Matt Carpenter, and Yan Gomes still find themselves without a contract with spring training games already being played.

Unfortunately, for these aging veterans who were once fan favorites, their time in the show may be coming to an unceremonious end.

Former MLB All-Stars Who May Be Forced Into Retirement

Anthony Rizzo

Rizzo is a legend in the north side of Chicago, but his production has fallen off a cliff since leaving. Once a consistent power threat, hitting 30 or more home runs in five of his MLB seasons, Rizzo managed to hit just eight long balls for the Yankees last season.

His .335 slugging percentage was the lowest of his career for a full season. To add to the pain, Rizzo’s Baseball Savant page is covered in blue, further indicating the regression from his former self.

Rizzo hasn’t hit above .250 since 2019, and his defense continues to decline as well, adding to the woes. While his role as a leader and plethora of experience could help him make a big league roster, it seems as if his times as an everyday player are limited.

J.D. Martinez

Unlike some of the others on this list, Martinez is probably the most likely to find a home sometime soon. Being an All-Star as recently as 2023, he has shown the ability to slug, even as Father Time attempts to catch up to him.

However, last season with the Mets was a different story, hitting just .235 with 16 home runs. With a fWAR of 0.6, he showed that he was still slightly better than replacement level. For a DH, however, teams would probably look for a higher offensive output than what he did in 2024.

While his bat could still be useful in a part-time, platoon role, the demand for an aging, one-dimensional player is nowhere near what it used to be. Martinez could very likely be given one more shot, but if he doesn’t capitalize, it could be the end of the road for the long-time slugger.

José Abreu

The fall of Abreu needs to be studied. As recent as 2022, he hit north of .300 in 157 games with the White Sox, showing no signs of slowing down.

However, after going to the Astros, the production from the former Rookie of the Year cratered. In 2024, Abreu was borderline unplayable, with an abysmal slash line that accumulated -1.7 bWAR in 35 games.

At 38 years old, it’s hard to envision any sort of comeback for the right-handed slugger. With players like Brendan Rodgers and Joey Gallo only getting minor league deals, it’s highly unlikely that a team would take a flyer.

With the way his 2024 unraveled, it looks like this could be the end for the former AL MVP.

Matt Carpenter

In 2022, Carpenter displayed a brief resurgence with the Yankees, putting up 2.4 fWAR across the campaign. However, outside of that, he hasn’t had a truly productive season since 2019.

In his return to St. Louis last season, he looked like a shell of his 2022 self posting a mere .234 AVG with only four long balls in 59 games.

With a clear decline in power and seemingly limited defensive abilities at this stage of his career, there’s no real reason for a team to take a chance on him. Unless he accepts an advisory role like Kevin Kiermaier, it’s looking like Carpenter’s days in a big league dugout are behind him.

Yan Gomes

Catcher is a spot on the diamond where organizations will tolerate an underwhelming bat for strong defense, but Gomes struggled on both sides in 2024. The veteran backstop hit just .154 in 34 games and posted -2 DRS for an accumulation of -1.2 fWAR.

The only thing keeping Gomes in the big leagues was his solid 2023 season, where he posted a .267/.315/.408 slash line in 116 games.

However, after his rough 2024, it’s unlikely he gets another shot unless a team has an emergency behind the plate, much like the Giants when they acquired Curt Casali midway through last season.

With so many catching options across the league, teams will probably opt to move on from an aging veteran.

Is This The End?

These five players were once in the conversation for the best at their position, but it seems as if time has finally caught up with them. Whether they officially retire or fail to sign a contract, the reality is that they may be reaching the end of their respective careers.

While Martinez may still have something in the tank, every guy on this list, including him, are facing a steep uphill battle to get in a big league lineup this season.

As we creep closer to the 2025 season, we’ll see how their careers come to a close. Will a team take a chance on one of these aging veterans, or will their careers reach an unceremonious end?