March 11--GLENDALE, Ariz. -- White Sox outfielder Michael Taylor retired from baseball Monday, midway through his first spring training for the Sox.
The Sox added outfielder Engel Beltre to major league camp to fill Taylor's spot.
Taylor, 29, had joined the Sox via a minor-league trade with the A's in June. He had played in 37 career major league games since 2011, including 11 regular-season games with the Sox in 2014, going 7-for-28 with a double, five walks and nine strikeouts.
Sox manager Robin Ventura said Taylor had been thinking about retiring at times last year.
"He's a smart kid with a lot of opportunities, and I think his heart wasn't as much into it as it has been in the past," Ventura said. "I think some opportunities presented themselves, and he decided to take that up.
"He thought about it long and hard. He came in, and there was no talking him out of it. He was ready to move on to something else, and I know he's going to be successful at something because he's a smart kid."
Taylor, a Phillies fifth-round draft pick out of Stanford in 2007, was a non-roster invitee to spring training and was 0-for-7 with two strikeouts in four games.
"It was really surprising," said Sox outfield prospect Jared Mitchell, who had played with Taylor at Triple-A Charlotte. "You never expect anybody to get out of the game on their own. ... I know a lot of guys feel like as long as you keep getting an opportunity, you try to make the most of it.
"It's always weird to see something like that happen. But it was a decision he made for himself and his family, and I wish him the best of luck. I hope it works out for him."
Beltre, 25, signed as a minor-league free agent with the Sox in January after eight years in the Rangers system. He played in 22 games with the Rangers in 2013.
