“So this is the last we’re seeing of Nelson Cruz?” asked Jones, who played with Cruz on the Baltimore Orioles in 2014.

A seven-time All-Star, Cruz’s professional career began when he signed with the New York Mets as an undrafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1998. After being traded to the Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers, Cruz made his MLB debut with the latter in 2005.

Over the course of his near-two decade career, Cruz spent time with the Brewers (2005), Texas Rangers (2006-2013), Orioles (2014), Seattle Mariners (2015-2018), Minnesota Twins (2019-2021), Tampa Bay Rays (2021), Washington Nationals (2022) and San Diego Padres (2023. In addition to his seven career All-Star appearances, he was named a first-team All-MLB selection in 2019 and a second-team selection in 2020. He also earned four Silver Slugger Awards, led the MLB in home runs in 2014, the American League in RBI in 2017 and won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2021.

While Cruz’s accomplishments will earn him Hall of Fame consideration, it’s unlikely he’ll ultimately be enshrined in Cooperstown. Nevertheless, his retirement marks the end of the career of one of this era’s most consistent power hitters, and a player who was largely productive through the end of his playing days.

After Cruz announced his retirement on Thursday, many took to social media to weigh in.