Report: Yankees RHP Mussina set to retire

Nov 19, 2008 - 11:18 PM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- New York Yankees righthander Mike Mussina will retire after 18 major league seasons, according to a report by Fox Sports on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old, who is coming off the first 20-win season of his career, filed for free agency earlier this month, but it widely was speculated he would call it quits.

Mussina spent eight seasons with the Yankees after playing 10 years for the Baltimore Orioles. He has a career record of 270-153 with a 3.68 ERA.

The 6-2, 185-pounder put together one of his best campaigns in years in 2008, going 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA and finishing sixth in voting for the American League Cy Young Award. He also won his seventh career Gold Glove.

It was uncertain whether the Yankees would have re-signed Mussina even if he had decided to return, as the team has shifted its offseason priorities to younger, high-profile pitchers such as CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.