Infamous Former Padres Infielder Suddenly Retires at 33

The utility player who helped the Dodgers win a World Series played briefly in San Diego.

Apr 9, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Matt Beaty (27) rounds third during and scores a run against the Arizona Diamondbacks the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Former San Diego Padres utility player Matt Beaty officially retired from professional baseball. The sudden announcement, posted to Beaty's Instagram account on Monday, comes almost two years after his final game in affiliated baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Double-A affiliate.

Beaty, 33, played 305 career games for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2019-21), Padres (2022), San Francisco Giants (2023) and Kansas City Royals (2023). That includes 15 postseason games over three years with the Dodgers.

"It’s been almost two years since my last at-bat in baseball," Beaty wrote on Instagram. "The time since then has been filled with questions and back-and-forth. Should I keep playing? Is there another opportunity out there? Or is it finally time to close this chapter?

"In my experience, a decision like this isn’t easy. You spend your entire life devoting time, effort and sacrifice to a game. You make choices and give up opportunities because baseball doesn’t always allow you to experience life the way everyone else does. When something has been such a huge part of your life for so long, walking away is hard. Deep down, I think I knew my last game was my last game. I just held onto the hope that it wouldn’t be."

In March 2022, the Padres acquired Beaty from the Dodgers for prospect River Ryan. It was a sensible trade at the time; from 2019-21, Beaty slashed .262/.333/.425 (100 OPS+) for the Dodgers, establishing himself as a valuable left-handed hitting first baseman and corner outfielder.

But as Ryan became one of the game's top pitching prospects in the years that followed, the trade began to look one-sided.

In a 2024 interview, Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller admitted Ryan was "probably one of those guys that you wish we had stayed a little longer with honestly because he’s done really well.”

This year, the Dodgers traded Ryan as part of the three-player package that brought reigning two-time Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal to LA.

As for Beaty, in 20 games with the Padres, he hit .093 (4-for-43) before sustaining a shoulder injury in May 2022. After recuperating, he played all but three games the rest of the season in the minor leagues.

The Padres designated Beaty for assignment in September 2022. He elected free agency, and resurfaced the following season with the Royals in spring training. In 2023, he played 30 games with the Royals and Giants, slashing .230/.347/.295.

Beaty played another 53 minor league games in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in 2024 before he was released in September of that year.

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