Chris Davis announces his retirement

Chris Davis won't make a final attempt at resuming his baseball career. He's done for good.

Davis announced his retirement this morning with one year remaining on his franchise-record seven-year, $161 million contract. He was out for the entire 2021 season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery May 19 in Dallas to repair the labrum in his left hip.

"After an extended time dealing with my injury and recent hip surgery, I informed the Orioles about my decision to retire effective today," Davis said in a statement. "I want to thank the Orioles partnership group, led by the Angelos family, the Orioles organization, my teammates and coaches, the University of Maryland Children's Hospital with whom I will continue to be involved following my retirement, and of course, Birdland. Thank you all for the many memories that I will cherish forever."

Davis received two at-bats in the spring's first exhibition game and didn't play again. The Orioles anticipated that after the surgery he'd be full-go for 2022 spring training, and executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said last month that Davis was rehabbing in Baltimore.

The team issued a statement this morning that read:

"The Orioles support Chris Davis as he retires from baseball today. We thank Chris for his 11 years of service to the club, to Orioles fans, and to the Baltimore community.

"Athletes have the power to change lives and better their communities, and Chris and his family have done just that. We admire their dedication to those most in need, with hundreds of hours of community work completed, millions of dollars donated, and countless other charitable efforts performed, often without fanfare.

"For every inning played and home run hit, hour of service completed and amount donated, the Davis family has made an immeasurable impact on our city and on Orioles baseball. We send our best wishes to Chris, his wife Jill, and their daughters Ella, Evie, and Grace, each of whom will forever be part of our Orioles family."

Davis' contract, negotiated by managing partner Peter G. Angelos and finalized in January 2016, paid the first baseman $17 million per season with $42 million deferred. Davis still receives his full salary, per a source, but the 2022 portion becomes deferred over the next three seasons. He won't receive a lump sum next year.

The deferred payments on his original deal came in 10 installments of $3.5 million annually from July 2023-32 and five installments of $1.4 million from July 1 2033-37.

Davis, 35, played in 1,151 games with the Orioles and twice led the majors in home runs. He batted .230/.318/.459 with 253 home runs, 656 RBIs and 1,550 strikeouts in 4,677 plate appearances after former executive Andy MacPhail acquired Davis and reliever Tommy Hunter from the Rangers on July 30, 2011 for pitcher Koji Uehara.

The enormous power and personality made Davis a cult hero in Baltimore, where he was named an All-Star starter and Silver Slugger winner in 2013 and finished third in Most Valuable Player voting in the American League. He was instrumental in the Orioles becoming winners again, making the playoffs three times in five seasons. But his production fell off dramatically after he signed the contract, which almost doubled the previous high in franchise history - center fielder Adam Jones received an $85.5 million deal - and various injuries, including back and knee, took their toll.

According to a source, Davis has a degenerative hip condition that likely would have kept him from playing next season or severely impacted him. His final game with the Orioles was Sept. 11, 2020. He appeared in only 16 that season and became a bench player who didn't fit on a cost-cutting team in full rebuild.

Davis ranks in the top 15 in Orioles history in home runs (tied for seventh), walks (10th, 491), RBIs (11th), extra-base hits (12th, 433), runs scored (14th, 592) and games played (15th). His 142 home runs at Camden Yards are second in the ballpark's history and he's first with 11 that reached Eutaw Street.

More national attention came to Davis during hitless streaks of 54 at-bats and 62 plate appearances, both the longest in major league history, that dated back to Sept. 14, 2018.

Davis and wife Jill had a much bigger impact off the field in recent years. He was a three-time nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award and the couple made a $3 million donation to the University of Maryland Children's Hospital, the largest it's received from a Baltimore sports figure.

The donation, made in November 2019, was earmarked for a state-of-the-art hybrid catheterization and operating room set up to treat children with congenital heart defects. Their daughter, Evie, was born with a ventricular septal defect in January 2018.

Today's retirement announcement also means the Orioles don't have a guaranteed contract on the books for 2022, though there are arbitration eligibles with raises coming.