Richard Bleier, a left-handed reliever who spent four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, announced his retirement on Instagram on Tuesday.
Former Orioles teammate Adam Jones was among those who congratulated Bleier on his retirement in the comments.
Bleier’s last appearance in the Majors was in 2023 with the Boston Red Sox. He also spent part of that season with the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate.
In addition to his MLB career, Bleier represented Team Israel twice in the World Baseball Classic, including in 2023.
He joined the Orioles just before spring training in 2017, after being traded by the New York Yankees for cash considerations. By that point, he had already been playing professionally for nearly a decade, having been drafted by the Texas Rangers in the sixth round of the 2008 MLB draft.
Richard Bleier played college baseball at Florida Gulf Coast University, the same school that produced reigning National League Cy Young winner Chris Sale.
He began his career in Triple-A, but after being called up, he quickly became an effective reliever for the Baltimore Orioles. In 57 games, he posted a 1.99 ERA, striking out 26 and walking 13 over 63.1 innings. He gained a reputation for inducing ground balls and getting hitters to swing-and-miss.
In 2018, Bleier was again solid before suffering a season-ending lat tear. He appeared in 31 games, posting a 1.99 ERA with 15 strikeouts and just four walks over 32.2 innings.
He returned in 2019, but his ERA ballooned to 5.37 in 53 games, with 30 strikeouts and eight walks in 55.1 innings, giving up 33 earned runs.
The 2020 season began with the Orioles, but after just two appearances, he was traded to the Miami Marlins. In Miami, he played a key role in helping the Marlins reach the playoffs, finishing the season with a 2.63 ERA over 19 appearances, striking out seven and walking four in 13.2 innings.
Bleier stayed with the Marlins for the next two seasons. In 2021, he made a career-high 68 appearances, posting a 2.95 ERA and striking out a career-high 44 hitters. In 2022, he had a 3.55 ERA in 55 games, with 32 strikeouts and 20 walks.
In 2023, Bleier was traded to the Boston Red Sox, but injuries limited him to just 27 games, and he finished with a 5.27 ERA. After clearing waivers, the Red Sox released him.
For his career, Bleier finished with a 15-6 record and a 3.27 ERA, striking out 187 batters and walking 54.
