Former Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins Reliever Richard Bleier Announces Retirement

Richard Bleier played 17 professional seasons, seeing MLB action in seven of them as a member of the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins and Boston Red Sox.

St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Richard Bleier (35) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Left-handed relief pitcher Richard Bleier has retired from baseball, he announced Tuesday on Instagram.

Bleier spent the 2024 season with the Washington Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in Rochester. The 37-year-old southpaw last saw MLB action with the Boston Red Sox in 2023.

"After 17 professional seasons and 7+ in the Major Leagues, it's time to retire," Bleier wrote. "It's been an incredible journey with plenty of highs and lows that ranged from spending six years in Double A to pitching in the playoffs with the Marlins, the team I grew up watching. Looking back on my career I don't think I would have done anything differently. I'm incredibly proud of what I accomplished."

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Bleier made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees at the age of 29 in 2016, eight years after the Texas Rangers selected him in the sixth round of the 2008 MLB Draft. Across 23 appearances his rookie season, Bleier posted a 1.96 ERA, 1.043 WHIP and 0.6 WAR.

That production remained steady after Bleier had been dealt to the Baltimore Orioles, as he went 5-1 with a 1.97 ERA, 1.198 WHIP and 2.9 WAR in 88 games between 2017 and 2018.

Bleier made another 53 appearances in 2019, putting up a 0.2 WAR, but with a 5.37 ERA and 1.319 WHIP.

The Orioles traded Bleier to the Marlins midway through the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Despite failing to return to his previous peak, Bleier became a dependable bullpen option once again.

From 2020 through 2022, Bleier went 6-5 with a 3.09 ERA, 1.181 WHIP and 2.2 WAR.

Bleier went to the Red Sox in 2023, finishing what turned out to be his final MLB season with a 5.28 ERA, 1.370 WHIP and -0.2 WAR. He made 15 appearances with Triple-A Rochester in 2024, going 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.320 WHIP.

Over the course of his entire professional career, Bleier pitched 1,356.0 innings across 628 games. He went 15-6 with a 3.27 ERA, 1.217 WHIP, 187 strikeouts and a 5.7 WAR in 335 MLB contests.

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