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Veteran third baseman Scott Rolen will not be returning to the Cincinnati Reds this season, which may indicate that he is headed for retirement.
The Reds and Rolen made a joint statement Tuesday afternoon, confirming that Rolen would not be joining the club at spring camp this week. So far what Rolen will decide next, his part of the statement was rather enigmatic:
Rolen said, "Right now I’m simply not ready to make a commitment. I would like to leave my options open, without closing any doors....
— Reds (@Reds) February 12, 2013
...I am looking forward to all of the challenges, both personally and professionally, I will face in the future."
— Reds (@Reds) February 12, 2013
The Reds and the Dodgers -- who have since dropped out of the picture -- have been the only teams to publicly express interest in bringing on Rolen this winter, so it seems likely that the veteran will be headed towards retirement. However, everything is still on the table at this point.
If the 37-year-old does opt for retirement, he will finish his 17-year career with a .281/.364/.490 slash line and 316 home runs to go along with his numerous other accolades. The 1997 NL Rookie of the Year made seven All-Star teams, won eight Gold Gloves, and took home a World Series title with the Cardinals in 2006.
