I'm not sure eliminating one of the major non-addictive parts of his life right now is the solution. For most addicts, free time is the enemy. Retiring from baseball would mean a ton of free time plus a ton of money plus no employer to motivate a need for sobriety. The only way I'd okay retirement would be if he had something to retire to he can be just as enthusiastic about being involved in as baseball. He needs to have something to do so he doesn't fall back onto his free-time activities.