Star Reliever Joe Kelly Stops Playing, Doesn't Retire

Former Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly appears to be finished with professional baseball, even if he refuses to call it retirement.

Speaking on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, Kelly said his playing days are over but took issue with the language commonly used when athletes walk away from the game. In his view, “retirement” is a word that belongs to people who worked regular jobs for decades or served in the military, not professional athletes.

“Athletes don’t retire,” Kelly said. “We just stop playing.”

Kelly, 37, last pitched in the major leagues during the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Injuries kept him out of the postseason, but he remained a loud presence afterward, taking shots at the New York Yankees following Los Angeles’s World Series win. The comments were the latest chapter in a long-running rivalry that included multiple on-field incidents earlier in his career.

Kelly debuted in the majors in 2012 with St. Louis before transitioning to a bullpen role with Boston, where he helped the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series. He later signed with the Dodgers and was part of their 2020 championship team, becoming a fan favorite for both his power arm and his confrontational edge. His mocking of the Astros in 2020 became one of the most viral moments of the shortened season.

After a brief stint with the White Sox, Kelly returned to Los Angeles but struggled to stay healthy. He hinted at a possible comeback last summer, claiming his velocity was still there, but no deal materialized.

Now, Kelly says he’s done. No comeback tour, no ceremony, and definitely no “retirement.” Just the end of playing.