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10 MLB players we may not see again after this season
Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

10 MLB players we may not see again after this season

1. Jose Reyes, IF, New York Mets

Some of the names on this list are guys who at least potentially could secure spring training invitations next February, but Reyes does not fall into that category. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, the 35-year-old has been the worst player in Major League Baseball this season. In just over 200 at-bats for the Mets, his batting average has consistently lingered around the Mendoza Line, and his .600 OPS is easily the worst of his career. New York threw the veteran a lifeline in 2016 following his release from the Rockies due to a domestic violence suspension, but that had everything to do with his stature within the organization after his first stint in Queens (a stance that many fans still disagree with). After his abysmal 2018 campaign in which he failed to even provide the Amazins with a competent utility infielder, it's exceedingly difficult to imagine another organization bringing him in next year.

2. Chase Headley, IF/OF, Free Agent

Headley was a good player for a long time, but those days are obviously long gone. The switch-hitter boasts a lifetime .263 batting average, but that mostly stems from his peak years in San Diego from '09-13. The former Tennessee Volunteer spent parts of four, for the most part, productive seasons in the Bronx before returning to the Padres this season for a ceremonious send-off that never developed. In 27 games for the Friars, the veteran hit just .115 and was released in the middle of May. He hasn't officially retired, but after failing to latch on with another club all summer, it's hard to imagine he'll be able to do so over the winter.

3. Jose Bautista, IF/OF, Philadelphia Phillies

The longtime Blue Jays slugger was once one of the most feared right-handed bats in the game, but after struggling to land with a team this season, his production (or lack thereof) has made it even more challenging to foresee an opportunity for him in 2019. Bautista has bounced around the NL East this year, signing with the Braves in mid-April before being released and scooped up by the Mets and later shipped to Philadelphia in an August waiver trade. Between the three stops, he's had difficulty pushing his batting average over .200, and while he has hit 12 homers in a little over 300 at-bats, the consistency needed for a club to rely on him just hasn't been there.

4. Hunter Pence, OF, San Francisco Giants

If this is indeed the end for Pence, that's disappointing, because for a long time he was one of the more entertaining players in the sport. The 12-year veteran never looked very smooth doing anything on a baseball field, but he always found a way to get it done, all while being a good teammate and leader. This season has been frustrating for the 35-year-old, as he's been stripped of an everyday role and in the process hit only .209 in a little under 200 at-bats.

5. Bartolo Colon, SP, Texas Rangers

Colon may well be the most charismatic man in baseball, but that might not be enough to grant him one last opportunity. The righty will turn 46 next May, and his performance in Texas this season has left something to be desired. In 26 games the big man has posted an ERA of 5.55, while in the age of the strikeout, punching out fewer hitters/nine innings that at any other point in his career. It would not be shocking to see a non-contender bring him in next spring to mentor some young arms, particularly pitchers of Latin descent, but even that may be a stretch for an aging veteran who hasn't held opposing hitters to a batting average under .260 in over a decade.

6.  Matt Joyce, OF, Oakland Athletics

Just about everything has gone right out in Oakland this summer, as the A's are currently on a collision course with the Yankees in the AL Wild Card game. That is except for the lack of production from Joyce, who had a good year for them last season. Two separate trips to the disabled list for the same back issue have limited the veteran to only 67 games this season, in which he's hit only .199 with seven homers. Joyce is a good player when healthy who has had an underrated career, but a 34-year-old free agent with back issues is unfortunately unlikely to attract much of a market.

7. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers

The 21-year veteran Beltre is probably the most high-profile name on this list, and while he's not the player he was in his prime, his performance is not the reason we may not see him again. The powerful right-handed hitter will turn 40 just after Opening Day next year, and it sure sounds like he's at least mulling retirement. He recently rejected an opportunity to join the Dodgers for a playoff push as part of a waiver trade, citing how he was loath to leave Texas at this point in his career. If Beltre does indeed hang them up at year's end, he'll retire as a surefire Hall of Famer. His impressive resume includes four All-Star teams, five Gold Gloves, two Platinum Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and at the time of print, 474 home runs.

8. John Axford, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers

For a few years there, the 35-year-old Axford was a productive late-inning reliever, but unfortunately the righty just hasn't been very good in a while. Splitting this season between Toronto and the Dodgers, he's struggled mightily, pitching to an ERA north of five in 48 appearances. When you factor in the fact that in '17 he struggled with injuries en route to a 6.43 ERA and a 2.10 WHIP in 21 innings, it's fair to assume he'll be headed for retirement in the near future.

9. Brian McCann, C, Houston Astros

Similar to Pence, it would be a shame if McCann really is finished because he is one of the real good guys in this game. But unfortunately, his offensive struggles this season make that a distinct possibility. The former All-Star has struggled to keep his batting average over .200 while turning in a .603 OPS, easily the worst mark of his career. His contract carries a $15 million club option for 2019, which the Astros will assuredly decline, and it will be interesting to see if the proud McCann would consider a minor league invite to compete for a backup job in spring training — or if he'd instead decide to retire on his own terms.

10. Pedro Alvarez, IF/DH, Baltimore Orioles

Not all that long ago, Alvarez was one of the up-and-coming stars in this game as he turned in back-to-back, 30-homer campaigns for Pittsburgh in '12 and '13. But his star has dwindled substantially since then. This season in Baltimore, the veteran was atrocious, hitting .180 in 111 big league at-bats before being designated for assignment in June. And while he cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA, the fact that the MLB-worst Orioles wouldn't bring him back as a September call-up doesn't bode well for his chances to find work over the winter.

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