Mark Teixeira to retire after the 2016 season, per report

Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees first baseman and former Texas Ranger, will announce his retirement, effective at the end of the season, this afternoon, according to multiple reports.

Teixeira, 36, was the #5 overall pick in the 2001 draft, selected by the Texas Rangers, and was a fixture in the Rangers lineup from 2003 until July, 2007, when he was traded to Atlanta, along with Ron Mahay, in a deal that brought Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Beau Jones to Texas.

Teixeira is in the final year of am 8 year, $180M deal he signed with the Yankees in the 2008-09 offseason.  He is currently putting up a .198/.287/.340 slash line in 303 plate appearances, the third bad season he has had in the last four years, and it appears that he's decided his time is up.

Teixeira currently has a career .269/.361/.511 slash line, with 1836 hits and 404 home runs.  He has a career 52.1 bWAR, which is 30th all time among first basemen, between Fred McGriff and Norm Cash.