2017 Team USA World Baseball Classic Roster: Where are They Now?

Team USA is just one win away from winning its second-consecutive World Baseball Classic title. With Team USA back in the championship, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at Team USA's roster in the last WBC that was played, in 2017. Here's our own edition of '2017 Team USA: Where are they now?'

Team USA is just one win away from winning its second-consecutive World Baseball Classic title.

With Team USA back in the championship, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at Team USA's roster in the last WBC that was played, in 2017. Here's our own edition of 2017 Team USA: Where are they now?

Pitchers

Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays — In 2017, Archer was one of the top pitchers in the American League. Archer finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting in 2015. Prior to the 2018 trade deadline, the Rays sent Archer to the Pirates in exchange for Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and Shane Baz. Since he was traded, Archer has not posted an ERA below 4.56 in a single season, and has dealt with injuries. He returned to the Rays in 2021 and pitched for the Minnesota Twins in 2023. He is currently a free agent.

Brett Cecil, St. Louis Cardinals — Cecil was named an All-Star in 2013, excelling out of the Toronto Blue Jays' bullpen. Cecil signed a four-year, $30.5 million contract with the Cardinals prior to the 2017 season. Cecil dealt with injuries in his time with the Cardinals and did not pitch in 2019 or 2020. He retired from professional baseball November 2021.

Tyler Clippard, New York Yankees — Clippard, now 38, has bounced around, pitching for eight different teams in his time since the 2017 WBC. Most recently, he signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals in March 2022. He was designated for assignment last August, and is currently a free agent.

Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals — Duffy last pitched in 2021, logging a 2.51 ERA and 4-3 record in 12 starts and 61 innings pitched, before injuries ended his season. In January he signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers.

Sam Dyson, Texas Rangers — Dyson last pitched at the Major league level in 2019. He was suspended for the entire 2021 season for violating the league's domestic violence policy. In 2022, he pitched in the Mexican league.

Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers — Fulmer found immediate success at the Major League level, receiving American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2016 and a trip to the All-Star Game in 2017. Fulmer battled elbow and knee injuries in the following years, eventually leading to Tommy John surgery. Fulmer reinvented himself as a relief pitcher in 2021 and 2022, and last month he signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Mychal Givens, Baltimore Orioles — Givens, 32, has enjoyed an eight-year career pitching in relief. After short stops in Colorado, Cincinnati, Chicago and New York, Givens signed a one-year, $3 million deal to return to the Orioles in December.

Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics — Months after he pitched in the World Baseball Classic, Gray was traded to the New York Yankees. Gray struggled in the bright lights of New York, but was once again named an All-Star in 2019, as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds dealt Gray to the Minnesota Twins last March. Gray logged an 8-5 record and 3.08 ERA in 24 starts with his new club in 2022.

J.A. Happ, Toronto Blue Jays — Happ recently retired, in May of 2022, after 15 years in the show. He was named an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2018, at age 35, while pitching for the Yankees.

Nate Jones, Chicago White Sox — After ten big league seasons, Jones hung up his cleats, announcing his retirement in August 2021.

Jake McGee, Colorado Rockies — McGee announced his retirement in February, but not without winning a World Series in 2020 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Andrew Miller, Cleveland Indians — Miller retired a two-time All-Star and former AL Reliever of the Year Award winner last March.

Pat Neshek, Philadelphia Phillies — Neshek, now 42, last appeared in a Major League game in 2019 as a member of the Phillies. 

Tanner Roark, Washington Nationals — Roark, now 36, has not pitched in an affiliate game since 2021.

David Robertson, Chicago White Sox — Two years ago, after having Tommy John surgery, David Robertson was out of baseball. Then, he returned to pitch for Team USA in the 2020 Summer Olympics (that occurred in 2021). Later that summer, the Tampa Bay Rays picked up Robertson. Now, he could be in line to be the New York Mets closer, after losing Edwin Diaz for what could be all of 2023.

Drew Smyly, Seattle Mariners — Since appearing in the last WBC, Smyly has played for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves. After a successful 2022 with the Chicago Cubs, the club re-upped with Smyly, agreeing to a two-year, $19 million contract.

Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays — Six years after taking home World Baseball Classic championship game MVP honors, Stroman opted to pitch for Team Puerto Rico instead of Team USA in the 2023 WBC, because his mother is Puerto Rican. Puerto Rico was eliminated by Team Mexico in the quarterfinals of the 2023 event.

Alex Wilson, Detroit Tigers — Wilson retired from professional baseball in July 2020.

Catchers

Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers

A.J. Ellis, Miami Marlins

All three of Team USA's catchers in the 2017 WBC have retired. Buster Posey enjoyed one last run with the Giants in 2021, when the club won 107 games and its first National League West division title since 2012. Next stop: Cooperstown.

Infielders

1B Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks — Goldschmidt is one of two players from the 2017 team that returned to Team USA in 2023. Goldy is now a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, however, and in 2022, he took home National League MVP honors for the first time in his illustrious career.

1B Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals — After winning a World Series and collecting Silver Slugger, All-Star and Gold Glove honors, Hosmer cashed in, signing an eight-year, $144 million contract with the San Diego Padres in February 2018. The Padres dealt Hosmer to Boston prior to last summer's trade deadline. The Red Sox designated Hosmer for assignment, and the Cubs picked him up, with San Diego paying his remaining salary.

2B Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals — Murphy enjoyed a late peak, entering his prime in his 30s, and terrorizing the Cubs in the 2015 NLCS. Murphy would later join the Cubs in 2018. Murphy finished his career in Colorado, and retired from professional baseball at the age of 35 in January 2021.

2B Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers — Kinsler retired from professional baseball in December 2019. He currently serves as a special assistant to Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young. Kinsler returned to the WBC in 2023, managing Team Israel, which did not advance past group play.

3B Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies — Arenado, like Goldschmidt, returned to Team USA for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. This time around, the two are teammates on the St. Louis Cardinals, manning both corners of the infield.

3B Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals — Carpenter, now 37, is still hanging around Major League Baseball. He recently signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres, after playing for the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees in 2022.

3B Alex Bregman, Houston Astros — Bregman, now 28, won his second World Series title last November with the Astros.

SS Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants — Crawford, now 36, enjoyed his best Major League season in 2021, placing fourth in National League MVP voting and collecting his fourth Gold Glove Award. Crawford is entering his 13th Major League season, all of which he has spent with the Giants.

Outfielders

Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles — Jones last appeared in a Major League game in 2019, with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jones played two seasons in Japan, then retired in 2022.

Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates — McCutchen, now 36, played his last season for the Pirates in 2017, until now. After stints in San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia and Milwaukee, Cutch signed a one-year, $5 million deal to return home to Pittsburgh in January.

Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins — Stanton took home National League MVP honors in 2017, and was subsequently traded to the New York Yankees. Stanton, entering his age-33 season, is coming off a 2022 campaign in which he hit 31 home runs and 78 RBI, slashing .211/.297/.759.

Christian Yelich, Miami Marlins — Like Stanton, Yelich was traded away from the Marlins after the 2017 season. Yelich put together an MVP season of his own in 2018, with the Milwaukee Brewers. Yelich, now 31, has seen a significant dip in his production since 2019 however. Over his last three seasons, Yelich has slashed .243/.358/.745, hitting 35 home runs and 130 RBI over 329 games. Yelich hit 44 home runs in 130 games in 2019 alone.

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