KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After more than 12 years in the majors, a former Royals catcher has announced his retirement from professional baseball.
Former Royals catcher Drew Butera, who caught the final out in the 2015 World Series, announced his retirement Monday afternoon on Instagram.
Butera spent four seasons with the Royals, appearing in 226 games. He was acquired by the Royals in May 2015. He mainly served as a backup for Salvador Perez throughout his time with the Royals.
But he had a truly notable moment while with the Royals where he was behind the plate to catch the final out of the 2015 World Series, when the Royals would win their first championship in 30 years.
Prior to joining the Royals, Butera spent time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins before joining the Royals. After leaving the Royals, Butera completed stints with the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers organizations before rejoining the Angels again in his final season of MLB action in 2021.
Butera spent the last season as a bullpen catcher for the Angels.
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