Julio Lugo plans to retire

Former Rays, Red Sox, and Astros' shortstop Julio Lugo is planning to retire from baseball at the end of this week's Caribbean Series in Hermosillo, Mexico, reports Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com:

Julio Lugo's professional baseball career is down to a matter of days.

"It might be [the end], unless something comes that changes my mind," Lugo said. "But I think this is going to be it for me."

The 37-year-old is calling it quits after 12 mostly-successful Major League seasons spent with seven different organizations, amassing a career slash-line of .269/.333/.384 with 80 big flies in over 5,300 plate appearances.

Lugo made his last major-league appearance in 2011 in a brief stint with the Atlanta Braves. The veteran infielder played just 22 games for the Braves, and was cut from the roster by early September. He tried to latch on with the Cleveland Indians last season on a minor-league contract, but negotiations fell through and he ended up playing ball outside the States.

Lugo is probably best known as the guy the Red Sox signed to a four-year, $36 million contract before the 2007 season to replace the departed Alex Gonzalez. Lugo helped lead Boston to their second World Series title of the decade that first year, but was pushed out of the organization just half-way through his four-year deal because of poor performance.