Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager retires after 11 seasons

Kyle Seager announced his retirement Wednesday after 11 seasons in the majors, all with the Mariners.

Always one to eschew social media, Seager made his decision known through a short statement posted by his wife, Julie, on her Twitter account.

“Thank you to all of my family, friends and fans for following me throughout my career. It’s been a wonderful ride but I am unbelievably excited for the next chapter of my life,” the statement says.

The 34-year-old Seager became a free agent after the season when Seattle opted not to exercise a club option on his contract. Rather than test the open market and with the uncertainty created by the ongoing lockout, Seager chose to call it a career.

Seager’s retirement is a bit surprising considering he was coming off one of his best seasons. He hit a career-high 35 home runs and had a career-best 101 RBI last season as Seattle made a late run into playoff contention only to fall short in the final days.

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Seager was tearfully removed from Seattle’s final game on Oct. 3 in the ninth inning after the Mariners had been eliminated from the playoff race.

“That was pretty special for me. That was a real moment,” Seager said after the season finale. “Obviously, you know this moment is gonna happen. You think about it, you think about how you’re going to feel but you can’t prepare for that. That was really special.”

“Kyle showed up to play, and to win, each and every day of his career,” Mariners’ chairman John Stanton said in a statement. “While the rest of the lineup might fluctuate, his teammates and manager knew he’d take the field each night, and he’d give all that his body had to give. His example and passion influenced a generation of Mariners players.”

His brother, All-Star shortstop Corey Seager, concluded a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Texas Rangers this offseason.

In 2020, Kyle and Corey both hit home runs in a game while facing each other. It marked the first time that two brothers on opposing teams homered in the same game since Felipe and Cesar Crespo did it June 7, 2001.