Former Terps pitcher Brett Cecil is retiring from baseball, the left-hander announced November 7, via a lengthy Instagram post.
Cecil last pitched in 2018 when he pitched 32 2/3 innings in a Cardinals uniform, recording a 6.89 ERA in 40 total appearances. A rough stretch of injuries kept Cecil off the mound in the remaining two years of the four-year, $30 million contract he signed with St. Louis in 2016. The Cardinals had cut Cecil loose prior to the 2020 season, and the reliever had remained unsigned until his decision to retire.
Before his tenure with St. Louis, Cecil had garnished the reputation as one of Major League Baseball’s top left-handed relievers with the Toronto Blue Jays, who took a chance on him out of Maryland. After four seasons of struggling to keep his ERA below 4.00, Cecil’s 2013-2016 seasons featured a 2.89 ERA and one All-Star selection in his “breakout” 2013 season.
The Blue Jays had drafted Cecil — a DeMatha High School product — out of Maryland in the first round (38th overall pick) in the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft after three seasons with the Terps. The Terps didn’t finish above .500 in any of the three seasons Cecil spent in College Park, but his 3.96 ERA and strong 156/52 K/BB in those seasons got him attention in the draft.
With Cecil’s retirement, there are five former Terps with major-league time remaining: Adam Kolarek, Brandon Lowe, Mike Shawaryn, LaMonte Wade, and Kevin Smith.
Maryland Baseball Network 