바카라Trevor Rosenthal, 33, was once an up-and-coming closer. After making his major league debut with St. Louis in 2012 and honing his craft in the bullpen, Rosenthal got his first full-time closer’s job in 2014 and quickly established himself as one of the league’s top closers with 45 saves.
2015 was the peak of his career. In 68 games, he posted a 2-4 record with 48 saves and a 2.10 goals-against average, rewriting the record for most saves in a single season. He had a fiery fastball that touched nearly 100 miles per hour and a decisive changeup that he added to his arsenal, along with a slider at the end of the game. His command was so dominant that he struck out 12.1 batters per nine innings in his major league career.
He was named an All-Star in 2015, and there seemed to be little doubt that he would be one of the league’s top closers for the foreseeable future. However, the ironclad closer began to crumble under the weight of injuries.
He opened the 2016 season as the team’s opening closer, but he wasn’t quite the same. A string of shaky saves saw his ERA soar into the four figures. Then St. Louis made a decision. Instead of the shaky Rosenthal, they turned to Seung-hwan Oh (42, Samsung), who was in his first major league season and had performed well as a set-up man. Seung-hwan Oh became the team’s closer in the second half, collecting 19 saves.
In 2016, Oh’s ERA was 1.92 and Rosenthal’s was 4.46. At the time, it made sense for Seung-Hwan Oh to be the closer, but it could have been a bit of an ego bruise for Rosenthal. The rivalry continued into 2017. This time it was the other way round. Seung-hwan Oh, who started as the opening finisher, faded towards the end of the first half, and Rosenthal, who had consulted with him, returned to the closing position.
The pair parted ways when Oh left the team ahead of the 2018 season, but Rosenthal has since had an injury-plagued career. After recording 11 saves in 2017, he was plagued by frequent injuries. Elbow surgery cost him the entire 2018 season, and he never regained his form upon his return. As soon as he was able to throw, he had to have chest surgery, hip surgery, and more, completely throwing off the rhythm of his career.
Rosenthal hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2018 due to frequent injuries and surgeries.
Rosenthal’s last major league start is still set for 2020.
As a result, Rosenthal made just 45 appearances from 2019 to 2020 and hasn’t been seen on a major league mound since. With his velocity already down, Rosenthal’s value had diminished significantly. He never gave up and kept hopes of a comeback alive, but his most recent attempts were unsuccessful.
Detroit released Rosenthal on Wednesday, the team announced. After signing a minor league deal with Detroit, Rosenthal attempted to return to the majors, but was limited to two appearances at Triple-A. He underwent another elbow surgery in mid-June after a fumble. He is now unlikely to see any more action this season.
According to Major League Trade Rumours (MLTR), “The nature of the recent elbow surgery is unknown,” but the elbow procedure is the latest in a series of injuries that have plagued Rosenthal for well over five seasons. For Rosenthal, one setback can mean a lot. And it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll consider retirement at 33,” the analyst said.
It’s fair to speculate that Rosenthal, frustrated by surgery, could be rethinking his career after another elbow operation in his mid-30s. While everyone hopes the closer can get back on his feet, the odds are diminishing with the passage of time and frequent injuries.