Former All-Star and Giants Starting Pitcher Announces Retirement From MLB

A long-time MLB veteran who used to pitch for the San Francisco Giants is moving onto the next stage of his life.

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Following the COVID-19 shortened 2020 MLB season, the San Francisco Giants were on the lookout for some pitching help.

They landed on someone they had become familiar with as an opponent: left-handed starting pitcher, Alex Wood, who is now calling it a career.

The veteran lefty announced his retirement on Instagram on Saturday afternoon, putting a bow on a 12-year career that included one trip to the All-Star game and one championship ring.

“For over half my life, every decision I’ve made has centered around how it would impact my baseball career. I’ve given every ounce of myself in pursuit of my lifelong dream of becoming a big leaguer. Playing 12 years in the show, reaching seven postseasons, winning a World Series, and earning an All-Star selection — I never could’ve imagined it would turn out this way,” Wood wrote on the post.

Prior to joining the Giants, he had spent parts of five seasons with one of their National League West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After 12 MLB seasons, 278 games, and a World Series ring, a former All-Star southpaw calls it a career:https://t.co/2BL4JOq6CP pic.twitter.com/0ilrJxLmBB

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) August 9, 2025

Injuries marred his career at points, including the 2020 campaign.

However, Wood showed up when the Dodgers needed him most on their run to the World Series. He threw 6.2 innings in the playoffs, allowing only one run, helping the team to a ring.

That winter, he signed a one-year, $3 million deal with San Francisco that proved to be quite a bargain.

Alex Wood calls it a career after 12 seasons

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Able to keep the injuries at bay, he made 26 effective starts, going 10-4 with a 3.83 ERA. Across 138.2 innings of work, he struck out 152 batters and issued only 39 walks.

The Giants rewarded him with a two-year, $25 million deal after the 2021 season, but he wasn’t nearly as effective in 2022 or 2023.

He had an ERA of 5.10 in the first year of the big contract. In Year 2, he had a 4.33 ERA and moved into a relief role because injuries were once again taking a toll.

Wood made 26 appearances in each of the first two campaigns with San Francisco and 29 in Year 3, with 17 of them coming out of the bullpen.

He ends his career with a respectable 3.78 ERA across 12 Big League seasons, striking out 1,173 batters in 1,258 innings pitched.

Along with the Giants and Dodgers, he also spent time with the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics.

His lone All-Star appearance was in 2017, when he also finished ninth in the National League Cy Young Award voting.