Cleveland Indians: Former Players Announce Retirement

A Pair of Former Cleveland Indians Pitchers Retire

In the last couple days a pair of former Cleveland Indians’ players have decided to retire as both Cliff Lee and Rafael Betancourt are stepping away from the game.  Both players were at one time key members of the Cleveland Indians and both made their major league debuts with the club.

Betancourt was a key member of the Tribe’s 2007 Central Division winning club. Known as “Raffy-Right” he formed one of the most dynamic setup duos along with Rafael Perez (known as “Raffy-Left”).  In that special 2007 season, Betancourt had one of the best seasons a reliever has had in recent memory, posting a 3.4 fWAR in just under 80 innings. In fact, in the last decade no reliever in baseball has posted an fWAR that high other than Betancourt in 2007.  In addition to the amazing WAR value, Betancourt posted a 1.47 ERA and amazing 9:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

Betancourt, who was signed as an international free agent by the Boston Red Sox back in 1993, joined the Cleveland Indians organization back in 2003 as a minor league free agent. He made his major league debut later that year.  He spent the first 6.5 years of his big league career with the Tribe before being dealt to the Colorado Rockies at the 2009 trade deadline.

Earlier this week Cliff Lee announced that he was ending his bid to return from an elbow injury in 2016, effectively ending his illustrious big league career.  Lee is probably best known for two things: winning 2008 Cy Young Award and being part of blockbuster trades.  Lee, originally drafted by the Montreal Expos, joined the Cleveland Indians in 2002 as part of the mega-deal that sent Bartolo Colon to the Expos. Acquired with prospects Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips, Lee made his big league debut that  September.

By 2004 Lee was a mainstay in the Tribe’s rotation and finished fourth in the 2005 Cy Young Award voting after going 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA.  Unfortunately, Lee suffered an injury in spring training of 2007, which contributed to his very disappointing season that year which culminated in him being sent to the minors and being left off the playoff roster. He entered 2008 looking like a man on the verge of being cut, but instead put together one of the best seasons in Tribe history going 22-3 with a league low 2.54 ERA.  His Cy Young season was merely the beginning as it was the beginning of a six year run that saw him make four All-Star games and post a 37.3 fWAR in that time, which was tops among all major league pitchers during that stretch.

Despite being arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Lee was also traded three times in that stretch, first going from the Indians to the Philadelphia Phillies in the summer of 2009 (resulting in current starter Carlos Carrasco coming to the Tribe). That following offseason the Phillies traded him to the Mariners as they acquired Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays. The Mariners, however, had a disappointing 2010 season and traded Lee to the Texas Rangers where he helped pitch them to the World Series.  His whirlwind tour wasn’t over yet as he signed back with the Phillies that following winter for five years and $120 million. Unfortunately he’s been out of commission for the last year and a half as he’s been dealing with an elbow injury that cost him the entirety of the 2015 season, which as said has resulted in his retirement.

Next: Outfield Options Are Plenty But Not Great

While neither Betancourt nor Lee finished their careers with the Indians, and neither had pitched with the club in nearly half a decade, I can’t help but be saddened that both these great pitchers have retired.  Both were such intricate parts of the Tribe’s success from 2005 to 2008.  I’ll also never forget that seemingly magical 2008 season Cliff Lee had. The “Raffy Brothers” is a nickname I wont’ soon forget either.

So what are some of your best memories of Cliff Lee and Rafael Betancourt in a Tribe uniform? Be sure to let us know in the comments section. And from everyone here at Wahoo’s on First, best of luck to both Lee and Betancourt in their future endeavors.