JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Ian Snell has decided to retire at age 29 after the St. Louis Cardinals optioned him to the minors.
The right-hander signed a minor league deal in January after going 0-5 with 6.41 ERA in 12 games, eight of them starts, for the Seattle Mariners last season. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Snell decided to quit before Tuesday’s spring game against the Atlanta Braves.
Snell pitched in one game, working two innings and allowing two runs on March 3. Since then he appeared in two “B” games, the last on Monday when he gave up two runs in an inning against Atlanta.
Snell is 38-53 with a 4.80 ERA in seven full seasons. He had a career-high 14 victories in 2006 and nine wins with a 3.76 ERA in 2007, and was the Pirates’ opening-day starter in 2009.
