Former Dodgers Bullpen Arm Retires from MLB After 10-Year Career
After 10 years serving as a relief pitcher for seven different teams, Luis Avilan is hanging up his cleats.
Avilan signed with the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent in 2005. He made his big league debut in July 2012, going on to appear in 31 games and holding a 2.00 ERA in his first season in The Show. In 2013, Avilan had the best season of his career with a 1.52 ERA, a 2.4 WAR and a 0.95 WHIP.
After four seasons with Atlanta, Avilan spent three years with the Dodgers with his best season coming in 2017 with a 2.93 ERA and a 0.6 WAR. He was a key reliever for Dave Roberts in his first two seasons as manager, making 88 appearances over 2016-2017. Avilan also tossed a total of 5 scoreless innings of relief in the 2015 and 2016 postseasons with LA.
The Dodgers traded Avilan to the Chicago White Sox in 2018 in a three-team trade that sent Jake Peter and Scott Alexander.
Avilan's last big league action came in 2021 for the Washington Nationals. Avilan appeared in just four games for the Nats and held a 12.60 ERA.
After spending all of 2022 in the Nationals' minor league system, Avilan became a free agent in November 2022. He did not pitch in any MLB organization in 2023 but did make three appearances in the Dominican Winter League.
