In baseball, it’s tough watching great players get old. Eventually, they not only get old but inevitably decide to hang them up for good. By the sounds of it, Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers could be the next former star who is on a farewell tour in 2020.
Braun Sunday during the Brewers’ annual winter fan festival and convention that this could be his last time attending the event. Equally important, Braun is entering the final year of a five-year, $105 million contract with Milwaukee.
“I don’t take for granted the fact that this could be my last year playing baseball.”
Pretty significant quote from Ryan Braun going into the final year of his #Brewers contract. pic.twitter.com/sgGD0P7skz
— Scott Grodsky (@ScottGrodsky) January 26, 2020
First, here is what Braun had to say to the media at Brewers fan fest. Certainly, it seems like Braun may just play another season or two at most.
“There’s at least a chance this is my last fan fest as a player. You definitely get a little nostalgic and think about how quickly it goes by. I’ve thought about it a little bit, but for me, the goal is always to stay fully present and try to be the best version of myself as a player this year, and then figure out the future when I get through the season.”
In 2019, Braun totaled 22 homers and 75 RBIs playing in 144 games. Remember, Braun won the NL MVP in 2011. He also served a 65-game suspension in 2013 for his link to the Biogenesis scandal.
It’s tough to gauge what we will get out of the Brewers in 2020. It doesn’t feel like on paper that they will be a major contender. Still, it didn’t feel that way in 2019 and they continued to grind all the way to the NL Wildcard game.
Braun has had a good career and remained somewhat productive past his prime years. He’s a guy that seems like it’s gone by in the blink of an eye. If this is his last season, he’s had a solid career he can be proud of.
