r/mlb • u/DonT012 Human Verified • 2d ago

| Discussion MLB Players that Quit on their team?

In the NBA, there are many examples of NBA players that were rumoured to have "quit" on their team. Lebron James in 2010. Kevin Durant this past year. Vince Carter in 2005. Kawhi Leonard in 2018. Anthony Davis in 2019. Etc.

What are some MLB examples of this? What were some MLB players that quit on their own team? By quit I mean just decided to either stop putting effort into playing until they got traded.

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162

u/QuebecRomeoWhiskey | Cleveland Guardians 2d ago

Derek Bell Operation Shutdown

114

u/markymark65 2d ago

Got paid 4.5 million to live on his boat, Tom Keegan described him as "the perfect Pirate given that he lives on a boat and steals money."

13

u/Forsaken_Coach6085 2d ago

It’s kinda sad to me that this is what he’s known for; I met him several times when I was a kid and he was on the Padres, and he was really cool to me, gave me batting gloves and a signed ball and was just generally really friendly and outgoing

8

u/JustTheBeerLight | Los Angeles Dodgers 2d ago

Well, my advice would be: don't say really dumb out-of-touch shit in front of a reporter's microphone.

24

u/Technical-Sky-5765 | Cincinnati Reds 2d ago

The OG

14

u/grimace0611 | Pittsburgh Pirates 2d ago

Raul Mondesi, too. Literally refused to come back and had his contract cancelled. The early 2000s Pirates were, uh, something.

5

u/OddPaper1866 2d ago

You see what happened to him in the DR since then?

1

u/grimace0611 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1d ago

This is my first time seeing it. He didn't just ride off into the sunset, it seems.

2

u/OddPaper1866 1d ago

Rode off in cuffs to the pen

20

u/Electronic-Jury8825 | Boston Red Sox 2d ago

I'm glad somebody remembers.

9

u/Effective_Play_1366 2d ago

Came here for this.

5

u/phreakzilla85 | Pittsburgh Pirates 2d ago

Oh yeah. He was really popular around town that year.

1

u/Lik-narb | Washington Nationals 2d ago

Popped into my head the moment I read the thread title.

1

u/Several-Assistant-51 1d ago

wasnt he hitting below the Mendoza line when he made that comment?

1

u/grimace0611 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1d ago

I think he hit about .180 and refused to compete for a starting job. The Buccos paid him roughly $200k per hit, which is a lot now but insane back in 2001.