ARLINGTON -- Former pitcher Ryan Dempster, who did not pitch in 2014, has announced his retirement as a member of the Cubs and will join the organization's front office staff as special assistant to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer.In his new role, Dempster will spend time with the club during Spring Training, visit the club's Minor League affiliates during the season, evaluate amateur players leading up to the Draft and perform professional scouting assignments. 
Dempster spent 16 years in the Major Leagues, posting a 132-133 record and a 4.35 ERA in 579 games, including 351 starts. Dempster spent nine of those years with the Cubs, both as a reliever and a starter. He recorded 85 saves as Chicago's closer from 2005-07 before moving back to the rotation in '08, when he won a career-high 17 games.Selected by the Rangers in the third round of the 1995 Draft, Dempster played for the Marlins, Reds, Cubs, Rangers and Red Sox in his career. He was an All-Star with the Marlins in 2000 and the Cubs in '08, and he helped lead the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2013. It was Dempster's only appearance in the Fall Classic.Dempster's time with the Cubs ended on July 31, 2012, when he was traded to the Rangers for two Minor Leaguers. One of the Minor Leaguers was pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who broke into the Cubs rotation as a rookie last season and went 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA in 13 starts.Dempster's 132 career wins stand as the second most in Major League history by a player from Canada. The all-time leader is former Cubs great Ferguson Jenkins with 284. Dempster was born in Gibsons, British Columbia.
T.R. Sullivan/ MLB.com
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