Mark Buehrle Talks Retirement, Trade Deadline and Aaron Sanchez

Who would’ve guessed that at the time of the 12-player blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins, that Mark Buehrle would actually end up being one of the most valuable pieces in the trade?

It’s been a few years since that monumental deal, and while he may have been initially viewed as a salary dump by the Miami Marlins, Mark Buehrle has proven to be quite valuable to the Toronto Blue Jays … in more ways than one.

Earlier this year, Buehrle hinted that he may be considering retirement in the near future, and at 36 years old and 16 years in the Major Leagues, he’s definitely contemplating the end of his baseball career.

Mark Buehrle joined Bob McCown on Prime Time Sports yesterday, and they touched on Buehrle’s possible retirement plans, the trade deadline, and the Blue Jays decision to move Aaron Sanchez back into the bullpen.

Buehrle may be in the twilight of his pitching career, and clearly he’s thinking about what his next move will be beyond the 2015 season.

“I can promise you I won’t be pitching when I’m 40. But as far as next year and the year after that is concerned, I have some ideas. I’ve talked it over with my wife, and I don’t think it’s going to be much longer if it is next year or the year after that.

Even if I was to make a decision and know exactly what I was doing right now, I probably wouldn’t announce it because I don’t want the big farewell tour and have it be a big deal.

The way I look at it, I came into the big leagues as a quiet, young guy that wasn’t a high prospect, and I’m going to go out that way. I snuck into the big leagues and I’m going to sneak on out.”

On the Blue Jays’ inactivity at the trade deadline last year:

“I didn’t really comment on it last year because I feel like a lot of the situation is whoever we were trying to get, they were asking for Sanchez or Stroman.

If I’m Alex and the front office, it would be tough to part with one of your young guys that’s going to be in this organization and be dominant for years to come just for maybe somebody that’s a two or three month rental or maybe have an extra year on.

I think they’re trying their hardest to try to make the team better in whatever area they think that needs to be.

I know guys were vocal about it last year and upset because of what they told us in Spring Training. But the way I look at it, I don’t know the whole situation and what guys they’re asking for, so it’s tough to make those trades.”

On the team’s decision to move Aaron Sanchez back into the bullpen:

“I was surprised when they moved him as a starter in Spring Training. Just the way he pitched out of the bullpen and how dominant he was.

I don’t know if that’s why they’re going back to that; having his innings built up right now, they don’t want to build him up too much for the rest of the year.

I knew he came up as a starter in the minor leagues, but all I’ve seen him do last year is come up here and dominate coming out of the back end of the bullpen.

He pitched good as a starter, I just think they’re worried about his innings and he just came off an injury, so they don’t want him to keep throwing a bunch of innings and really just use him one step here and there.”

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