Former Cubs Pitcher Dan Straily Announces Retirement from Baseball
A name from the Chicago Cubs’ rebuilding era has officially hung up his cleats.
Right-handed pitcher Dan Straily, who was part of the Cubs’ 2014 roster under manager Rick Renteria, has retired from Major League Baseball, according to Codify Baseball. The now 36-year-old had not pitched in the majors since 2019 but returned to the Cubs on a minor league deal in 2024. He spent the season with Triple-A Iowa but never made it back to the big leagues.
Straily’s MLB journey began with the Oakland Athletics, who drafted him and gave him his debut in 2012. He made headlines again on July 4, 2014, when he was part of a high-profile trade that sent him, top shortstop prospect Addison Russell, and outfielder Billy McKinney to the Cubs in exchange for pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel.
Though Straily’s stint with the Cubs was brief — and came during a 73-win season in the midst of a rebuild — the trade would prove pivotal to the franchise’s future, as Russell became a key contributor to the 2016 World Series-winning team.
Straily went on to pitch for several other MLB teams, including the Astros, Reds, and Marlins, and also had success overseas, particularly in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), before attempting a comeback in 2024.
