Travis Shaw Publicizes Retirement Announcement

BY markoh January 17, 2023

A former MLB infielder named Travis Shaw announced his retirement from the sport on Monday. The left-handed hitter has excelled at the top level in the game during the previous eight seasons.

 

Shaw remarked, “I’ve been fortunate to fulfill my childhood dream of playing Major League Baseball for the past eight years. I could never have imagined what this game would offer me as a 9th-round pick 12 years ago. However, that dream has been put to rest today. You will have the memories with you forever. I will always be grateful to everyone who has helped me in my professional endeavors (the list is vast). The only words that come to mind as this chapter draws to an end are THANK YOU!”

 

In 2011, he was selected in the ninth round, as Shaw had already mentioned. Out of Kent State, he was chosen by the Red Sox and signed a $110,000 contract. Within a few seasons, he dropped to the bottom half of Baseball America’s top 30 talents in the Boston organization. He batted efficiently in the minors and made his primary debut season in May 2015 at 25. As a rookie, he had an immediate impact, slashing 13 home runs in 65 games at.270/.327/.487.

 

As a result, Shaw got an excellent look at Boston’s 2016 squad. To give Shaw the scorching corner, Pablo Sandoval had shoulder surgery and lost most of that season. Through 530 plate appearances, he managed to compile a.242/.306/.421 line, not entirely maintaining his rookie form. The following winter, the Sox traded Shaw to Milwaukee for reliever Tyler Thornburg.

 

The move worked well for the Brew Crew, who immediately named Shaw their starter third baseman. Due to Milwaukee’s favorable hitting environment, he hit at least 30 home runs each of his first two seasons. He hit 63 long balls between 2017 and 2018, accumulating a cumulative. Of 258/.347/.498 line with a very respectable 11.6% walk ratio. Shaw played in over half of the team’s games in 2019, but his stats declined to a.157/.281/.270 line.

 

Shaw later established himself as a depth corner baseman and bench hitter. He spent the abbreviated 2020 season with the Blue Jays before beginning the 2021 campaign in Milwaukee. He was battling the Brewers for the second time; he had trouble, and he was sent back to Boston thanks to release waivers. At the tail end of the ’21 season, Shaw participated in 28 games for the Sox and displayed a little glimpse of his best performance.

 

He re-signed on a low-level contract during the lockout and was added to the Opening Day roster. Shaw played in seven games at the start of the previous season, but in his 19 at-bats, he failed to get on base. After going uncontested on waivers, he entered free agency in May. He has yet to make plans to hunt for work opportunities.

 

In the major leagues, Shaw played in 733 games. He played in over 2700 plate appearances, slamming 114 home runs, 127 doubles, 366 runs, and 310 runs scored while batting.237/.319/.437. Shaw has the above-mentioned 30-homer seasons in addition to the double-digit home run totals twice. His career offensive output was approximately league average, according to wRC+. FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference assigned eight wins above replacement to Shaw’s career, with most of that value coming from his excellent first two seasons in Milwaukee. Shaw has had a terrific playing career, and MLBTR hopes him the best in his retirement.

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