Michael Brantley could’ve been one of the thousands of forgotten “players to be named later” after he was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008 as an outfield prospect in a part of a package to land starting pitcher CC Sabathia.
Instead, Brantley made his MLB debut late in the 2009 season with the Cleveland then-Indians and crafted a 15-year big league season that included five All-Star honors, a World Series title and a reputation as one of the classier players in recent memory.
The 36-year-old announced his retirement on Friday after 10 seasons with Cleveland and the last five with the Houston Astros. After earning his fourth and fifth All-Star nods with Houston in 2019 and 2021, Brantley was limited by injuries in 2022 and 2023, playing in just 79 games combined.