Dodgers News: Former LA Outfielder Announces His Retirement

Former Dodgers outfielder Steven Souza Jr. announced that he's retiring from baseball after eight big league seasons.

The Dodgers are never ones to shy away from taking flyers on veteran players whose best days are behind them. The practice has worked at times and there's countless veteran players who have churned through the organization in recent years. One name that Dodgers fans might struggle to remember years from now is Steven Souza Jr.

Souza, a third-round pick in the 2007 draft, had a brief big league career, but did enjoy some solid seasons as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays (106 OPS+ in 378 games). 

The outfielder, who played for the Dodgers last season, contemplated retiring this winter, but instead signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners. Souza, an Everett, Washington native, clearly wanted to play a little closer to home.

But on Tuesday, Souza Jr. announced his retirement. 

Time to call it a Career pic.twitter.com/pQ77oLYAkn

— Steven Souza Jr. (@SouzaJr) July 19, 2022

Souza had a strong showing with the Tacoma Rainiers, the Mariners triple-A club. The outfielder posted a .950 OPS in 96 plate appearances, including five home runs and five doubles. 

However, he struggled in six games with the Mariners. He logged a .158 batting average and struck out in eight of his 19 plate appearances.

The Dodgers signed Souza in April of 2021, only to release him on July 11th. LA then re-signed him on July 17th. He hit .152 in 17 games for the Dodgers, but still earned a roster spot for all three of LA's playoff series.

Hats off to Souza, and best of wishes for whatever comes next for the onetime Dodger outfielder.