Embattled veteran right-handed pitcher Aaron Barrett is retiring from professional baseball as a player. Barrett announced Saturday in a heartfelt post on social media, he’ll pitch his final game on July 4th.
The 34-year old Barrett currently pitches for the Philadelphia Phillies Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He spent 11 years within the Nationals organization before signing with the Phillies this past March. Coincidentally his final game will be against the Nats’ Triple-A affiliate the Rochester Red Wings.
The Nationals selected Aaron Barrett in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB draft. He worked his way through the organization and made his MLB debut on Opening Day 2014 against the New York Mets, picking up the win in relief. His rookie season ended in dismay as he threw a wild pitch trying to intentionally walk San Francisco Giants’ Pablo Sandavol that allowed Joe Panik to score the winning run that led to eliminating the Nationals.
That regrettable moment pales in comparison to the misfortune that Barrett had to overcome. The following season he underwent Tommy John surgery. He wouldn’t appear in a minor or major league game until 2018.
While rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in 2016, Barrett was pitching at the Nationals minor league complex in Florida. He suffered a gruesome arm injury, fracturing his right elbow. The Nationals kept the video of the injury from the public eye.
In 2017 season, Barrett’s rehab was shut down as his injury didn’t heal properly.. He ultimately made it back on the field in 2018 working with the club’s minor league system mostly.
He spent most of the 2019 season in Double-A. However, the Nationals recalled him to the majors in September 2019. The Nats organization shared the video of the emotional scene when Barrett was told the news. He made his return on September 7, 2019 against the Atlanta Braves.
After pitching a scoreless inning in relief, Barrett sat on the bench in the dugout and was overcome with emotion. The touching moment was felt through the entire Nationals organization and amongst their fans.
He made three appearances in all. He wasn’t used during their postseason run. Yet, Barrett earned a World Series championship ring being part of the Nationals 40-man roster in 2019.
He last pitched in the majors on September 18, 2020 for the Nationals. After spending the 2021 season in the minors, Barrett signed with the Phillies in March.
Still the Nationals have a special place in his heart. He thanked the club during his retirement announcement.
“I can’t thank the @Nationals enough for giving me a chance to pursue my dream. I will always cherish every moment I got to put on a Curly W. The time they took to help me make it back and be able to be apart of a WS is something words can’t describe and I will cherish forever!” Barrett wrote.
In four MLB seasons — all with the Nationals — Barrett pitched 74.0 innings with a 4.01 ERA while posting a 6-3 record. He also played for the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League in 2021.
