Old friend and pitcher for two of my favorite Chicago Cubs highlights, Hector Rondon has decided to retire.
Just 33, Rondon is stepping away, according to Chris Cotillo.
It wasn’t that long ago that Hector Rondon was a staple in the Chicago Cubs bullpen, from quality setup man to exceptional closer to World Series champion. His two years from 2014 to 2015, in particular, came with an ERA just barely over two, and he was one of the clear best relievers in baseball.
One of the most successful Rule 5 Draft picks in recent memory, Cubs or otherwise, Rondon was still a solid arm for the Cubs in 2016 and 2017, and then was really darn good for the Astros in 2018. The peripherals started to nosedive in 2019, and his partial year with Arizona in 2020 was a disaster. As Cotillo’s report indicates, Rondon signed a minor league deal at the end of Spring Training with the Red Sox, but apparently he decided instead to hang ’em up.
When he joined the Cubs, Rondon was already a multiple-elbow-injury-and-surgery guy, which is part of the reason he was ever available to them in the Rule 5 Draft in the first place. Not sure if elbow issues have popped back up and are part of the decision here – because, again, Rondon is only 33 – but whatever the case, I wish him the best in the next phase of his life.
As for those two favorite highlights, there was that time he wriggled out of that crazy jam against the Giants when the Cubs were surging in 2015:
And, of course, there was the save that clinched the Cubs the 2015 NLDS over the Cardinals:
That second one? I shed a couple tears, I have to admit.
Good luck, Hector. And thank you.