Gerardo Parra says he is retiring as player, becoming Nats assistant

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Gerardo Parra says he is retiring from baseball after 12 seasons in the major leagues and will become a special assistant to Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo.

“It’s time for me to step aside to take on new professional and personal challenges,” the 35-year-old outfielder wrote Monday on Instagram. “It’s not an easy decision to make for any athlete, but I am happy with what I have achieved in these 12 years in the major leagues.”

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Parra said his new role with the Nationals “is undoubtedly a dream job to start a new chapter.”

FILE – Washington Nationals’ Gerardo Parra celebrates after Game 7 of the baseball World Series against the Houston Astros Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, in Houston. The Nationals won 6-2 to win the series.  (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

Parra became a fan favorite as he helped Washington win the 2019 World Series, making “Baby Shark” his walkup song. The Nationals released a video tribute to Parra, who signed a minor league contract with the team before this season but did not appear iny any games.

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He hit .237 with 90 homers and 532 RBIs for Arizona (2009-14), Milwaukee (2014-15), Baltimore (2015), Colorado (2016-18), San Francisco (2019) and Washington (2019, 2021) and spent 2020 with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Central League.