Former Kansas City Royals top draft pick, playoff hero Christian Colón set to retire

Former Kansas City Royals first-round draft choice and World Series champion Christian Colón has decided to retire from professional baseball, according to MLBTradeRumors.com.

Colón, 32, began last year having signed to play with the Kansas City Monarchs of the independent American Association. The infielder returned to affiliated baseball when the Toronto Blue Jays signed him in April to a minor-league contract. He appeared in 100 games for the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate this season with a slash line of .258/.345/.429 and 15 home runs.

A fourth overall draft pick in 2010, Colón spent the first seven seasons of his career in the Royals organization and played a role in several memorable and pivotal moments during their back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 2015.

Colón delivered a crucial 12th-inning hit in the 2014 Wild Card Game against the Oakland Athletics, an infield single that scored Eric Hosmer with the tying run. Colón stole second base and scored on Salvador Perez’s walk-off RBI single.

In the 2015 World Series, Colón’s 12th-inning RBI single gave the Royals their first lead in Game 5 and started a five-run inning as the Royals won 7-2 and clinched their first World Series title since 1985.

He had just two official at-bats in the postseason and went 2 for 2 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Over the course of four seasons in the majors with the Royals, he slashed .263/.323/.329 in 348 plate appearances in 125 games.

The Miami Marlins selected him off waivers from the Royals in 2017. He also spent time with the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Blue Jays. He only appeared in major-league games for the Royals, Marlins and Reds.

For his career (parts of six seasons in the majors), he slashed .249/.312/.310 with one home run in 418 plate appearances in 161 games.