What It Means:

Braunecker has said all along it would take a "perfect" situation for his client to make a comeback, and it sounds like he simply didn't get the offer he wanted. Barring something unexpected, his career is likely over. The 37-year-old was arguably the best pitcher in baseball from 2008-2013, winning a Cy Young Award along the way, but he was plagued by elbow issues over the last two years.

Lee has had one of the more interesting career trajectories in recent memory. After serving as basically a league-average pitcher for parts of six seasons, Lee burst onto the scene with a Cy Young campaign in 2008, which was the start of six straight seasons posting a Wins Above Replacement mark over 5.0. In his prime, Lee was a control master. He twice recorded seasons with more starts than walks. Lee pitched 81 1/3 innings in 2014, posting a stellar 3.01 xFIP, so the tank may not be empty, but it sounds like he's riding off into the sunset.