Willingham enjoyed an 11-year career that saw him play for five different teams. He was a career .253 hitter who slugged 195 home runs during those 11 years. Willingham was being pursued by a few teams this offseason, but he ultimately decided to walk away under his own terms.

If Willingham is to sign with a major league team, he will probably wait until closer to spring training and see if he can get a one-year deal. He still has some gas left in the tank, but only in small doses as he just can\'t seem to stay healthy.

Willingham will turn 36 in February and had dealt with injuries over the past few seasons. If this is his final season Willingham would have played 11 major league seasons with five organizations.

This is a move from manager Ned Yost to jam a few more lefites into the lineup to face right-hander Joe Kelly while keeping Lorenzo Cain active. Norichika Aoki will handle DH responsibilities while Cain moves to right and Jarrod Dyson plays center.