Matt Beaty, a versatile player who contributed to four Major League Baseball teams during his five-season career, has decided to retire. Known for his role in helping the Los Angeles Dodgers secure the 2020 World Series title, Beaty shared the news through his Instagram account on Monday, August 24.
Beaty expressed in his post, “I believe it’s time to finally officially announce that I’m entering the next chapter of my life. It’s been almost two years since my last at-bat in baseball. The time since then has been filled with questions and back-and-forth. Should I keep playing? Is there another opportunity out there? Or is it finally time to close this chapter?”
He acknowledged the difficulty of stepping away from the game, stating, “Walking away is hard,” and added, “Deep down, I think I knew my last game was my last game. I just held onto the hope that it wouldn’t be.”
Throughout his career, Beaty, 33, participated in 305 games with the Dodgers (2019-21), San Diego Padres (2022), San Francisco Giants (2023), and Kansas City Royals (2023). His tenure included 15 postseason appearances with the Dodgers, notably three in 2020, when the team ended a 32-year World Series drought.
In 2024, Beaty played 53 minor league games for the Arizona Diamondbacks before being released in September. He has been a free agent since then.
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Between 2019 and 2021, Beaty was a valuable left-handed hitter, achieving a batting slash line of .262/.333/.425 (100 OPS+) for the Dodgers. His rookie season featured personal bests in several statistics, including 268 plate appearances, nine home runs, 46 RBIs, 19 doubles, a slugging percentage of .458, and an OPS of .775.
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In 2021, Beaty set new career benchmarks in games played (120), on-base percentage (.363), and OPS+ (104). Subsequently, the Dodgers traded him to the Padres in exchange for pitcher River Ryan. Ryan later became part of a trade deal involving Tarik Skubal with the Detroit Tigers.
Over the following seasons, Beaty’s MLB appearances dropped to 50 games, and he struggled to replicate his earlier success.
In his Instagram message, Beaty reflected on the life lessons he gained from baseball, stating, “Baseball gave me friendships I cherish, experiences, failures, successes, perspective, and a mindset that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
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