6 New York/New Jersey Athletes Who Should Retire Soon
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mark Teixeira is injured. Again.
This time it was a foul ball off his foot. Last month, he missed 18 games with torn cartilage in his knee, an issue he must manage with occasional days off. Earlier in the season, it was neck spasms. Last year, a foul ball broke his leg.
In 2014, he hurt his hamstring. And then there was the wrist.
You get the picture. Teixeira, who is hitting an abysmal .186 this season, has seen better days. Much better days.
In April, he said he wants to play five more years. But at age 36, the signs suggest the three-time All-Star should probably call it a career sooner rather than later.
Teixeira is not alone. Here are five other New York athletes who should give serious thought to retiring.
Alex Rodriguez
The three-time American League MVP is 40 years old and is hitting just .216 this season. What's even sadder is that Yankees manager Joe Girardi has increasingly been using Carlos Beltran in the designated hitter role, making A-Rod a $20 million benchwarmer on many nights. But he's still got another year left on his contract -- in other words, 20 million reasons to make Yankees fans cringe for a while longer.
David Wright
The Mets' captain has played in just 75 games the past two seasons, and he's unlikely to return in 2016. Dealing with spinal stenosis and coming off a neck surgery, it's doubtful that Wright, 33, will suddenly become more durable as he enters his mid-30s. And his .226 batting average this season wasn't too reassuring, either.
Patrik Elias
The Devils' all-time leading scorer and two-time Stanley Cup winner is 40 years old and played in just 16 games last season due to a knee injury that required surgery. His agent said after last season that Elias "desperately wants to play one more year." He hasn't scored 20 goals since 2011-12. Elias is currently an unrestricted free agent.
Mikhail Grabovski
At 32 years old, the Islanders center hasn't exactly reached retirement age, but he has a lengthy injury history, including missing significant portions the past two seasons with concussions. His future is uncertain and his $5 million cap hit over the next two seasons is burdensome.
Eric Boulton
The Islanders enforcer is 39 years old, has managed to skate in just 16 games the past two seasons and hasn't played in more than 23 games since 2011-12. Boulton skated in just six contests last season due to a lower-body injury. He's currently an unrestricted free agent. Newsday reported in May that Boulton hadn't made a decision on whether he wants to play this season, but if he does retire, he'll likely remain in the Islanders organization in some capacity.
