New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera will retire after the 2013 season, according to a report from Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Yankees signed Rivera to a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason after he tore his ACL last April while shagging fly balls in Kansas City.
The 43-year old Rivera will go down as the best closer of all-time when the book closes on his career. His 608 saves are the most of all-time, and his 2.21 ERA is 13th all-time among all pitchers (even starters). Rivera is also fourth all-time in strikeout to walk ratio with a 4.04 mark, behind only Tommy Bond and a pair of Red Sox rivals: Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez.
Rivera's retirement will truly signal the beginning of a new era for the Yankees in 2014. If Derek Jeter and Andy Pettite join him in retirement, and Robinson Cano leaves as a free agent, the Yankees could be unrecognizable from a "legacy" standpoint next season. It's tough to imagine, but the Yankee dynasty is on life support after years of dominating the AL East.
