Alfonso Soriano, seven-time Major League Baseball (MLB) All-star and New York Yankees veteran, has officially announced his retirement four months after he was released from his club.

The Yankees has designated Soriano for assignment on July 6. However, he was released approximately a week later.

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The 38-year old announced his retirement last Tuesday in an interview with the Washington Post.

Soriano had also said to a Dominican Republic radio station that he lost the love and passion to play the game. He also added that his family is the most important thing for him right now.

However, some reports claim that reality was Soriano's aging and it was affecting his game. In 2014, he had batted for only .221 in 67 games for the Bronx Bombers.

ESPN Stats & Info widened the context of Soriano's continuing struggles in baseball for his past season, saying that his -1.5 wins above replacement ranked tied for third worst among position players in 2014.

According to ESPN's Mark Simon on July 7, he said that Soriano was 12 for 77 with zero homeruns in his last 28 games.

Due to it, Soriano saw his retirement as a decision that favored himself and also his team, as documented by Marly Rivera of ESPN.

Be that as it may, Soriano would walk away from the game as one of the great players of baseball as attested by his achievements.

Soriano was a quick runner on the path that evolved into a power hitter. The amount of strikeouts he recorded also hindered his impact as a baserunner.

However, he had 46 home runs and stole 41 bases in his lone season with the Washington Nationals in 2006.

Soriano joined Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez as the only other members of the 40-40 club.

His legacy reaches far beyond that as his flashy style of play will not be forgotten. 

TagsAlfonso Soriano, retirement, mlb, new york yankees