Kyle Seager has announced his retirement, according to a statement relayed by his wife on Twitter. He had the rare honor of spending his entire career with one organization, having been drafted by the Seattle Mariners and staying with them until reaching free agency at the end of the 2021 season.
Seager, 34, began his career as a third-round pick of the Mariners in 2009, climbing through the minors to make his MLB debut in 2011, getting into 53 games that year. In 2012, he had a breakout year that saw him hit 20 home runs in 155 games, slashing .259/.316/.423. In combination with his solid third base defense, he was worth 3.8 fWAR that year.
From that point on, he essentially took over and made himself a fixture at the hot corner in Seattle, playing at least 154 games for the Mariners for seven straight seasons from 2012 to 2018. A hand injury limited him to 106 games in 2019, but that would prove to be his only significant absence, as he played all 60 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and then 159 games in 2021.
After a 2014 season in which Seager hit 25 homers, was selected to the All-Star game and won a Gold Glove, he and the Mariners agreed to a contract extension worth $100MM over seven years. That contract, which just concluded a few months ago, kept him a Mariner for life.
Over his 11 seasons, Seager played 1,480 games, notching 1,395 hits, 309 doubles and 242 home runs. His overall career slash line was .251/.321/.442. He was worth 34.8 wins above replacement in the estimation of FanGraphs, with Baseball Reference putting him at 36.9. A model of consistency, Seager produced at least 1.5 fWAR for ten straight seasons, from 2012 to 2021, hitting at least 20 home runs in each of those seasons, except for the shortened 2020 campaign. Despite his reliable durability, power production and defense, the Mariners were never able to build a postseason-worthy team around him, having not been to the postseason since 2001.
In 2021, the final year of his career, Seager set career highs in home runs and runs batted in, with 35 and 101, respectively. His slash line on the year was .212/.285/.438. Going into the offseason, MLBTR predicted that he could have earned himself a new contract worth $24MM over two years. Instead, he will hang up his spikes and enter the next chapter of his life.
Seager addressed his retirement with Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times this afternoon. The third baseman said he’d decided to retire by the end of the season, a year that ended with an emotional farewell from the fans at T-Mobile Park after the Mariners had been eliminated from playoff contention. “I knew if we got eliminated that would be the last time I played baseball. I knew it was my last at-bats, I knew it was my last ground balls, my last innings,” Seager texted Divish. “All those thoughts were in my head. I had so many emotions going on that day. My family being out for the pregame pitch was magical. I got very emotional very early in the day!”
Seager went on to tell Divish he’d been contemplating retirement as far back as Spring Training and said the ongoing lockout and labor uncertainty played no role in his decision. “It honestly was an easy decision. As much as I love baseball, it was time. I’m ready to be home with my family. I’ll miss a lot of people and aspects of the game, but I am ready to start the next chapter of my life.” Mariners fans in particular will want to check out Divish’s full piece, which also contains quotes from Seager on his appreciation for the Seattle fanbase as well as interest he’d received from other teams this winter after the M’s bought out his club option for 2022.
The MLBTR team would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to Kyle for an incredible career and wish him the best of luck in whatever comes next.
Huh
Very shocking. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up changing his mind before the season is over. Someone will have an injury and really need him. That’s an answer to a trivia question. Who was the last player to retire following a season in which he had 35 home runs and over 100 rbi’s?
Seriously, though. Before Seager who was the last player to retire after hitting at least 35 home runs and over 100 rbi’s? Has it ever happened?
David Ortiz had 38 homers, 127 RBI in 2016.
Pretty unreal at the age of 41. Like, really wonder how a guy that old could lead the league in slugging and ops.
He outdid Barry Bonds at age 41 by a significant margin.
Hmmmm…..
No comment. Oh, hi, Nellie Cruz, didn’t see you over there …
Ortiz was under the microscope more than anyone else in the 2010s. Never failed a test.
well thats false. ortiz did in fact fail a PED test ince in career
Aaron hit 40 home runs and batted .301 at age 39.
Ted Williams hit 38 home runs and batted .388 at age 38.
Carl Yastrzemski hit 28 home runs and batted .296 at age 37.
Carlton Fisk hit 37 home runs at age 37.
Cal Ripken hit 18 home runs and batted .340 at age 38.
Eddie Murray hit 27 home runs and batted .285 ay age 37.
Stan Musial hit 19 home runs and batted .330 at age 41.
Ernie Banks hit 23 home runs and drove in 101 runs at age 38.
Frank Robinson hit 30 home runs and drove in 97 runs at age 37.
Mike Schmidt hit 35 home runs and batted .293 at age 37.
Adrian Beltre hit 32 home runs and batted .300 at age 37.
George Brett hit 14 home runs and batted .329 at age 37.
Chipper Jones hit 22 home runs and batted .364 at age 36.
Rod Carew batted .339 at age 37.
Most great hitters have their last really good year around 37-38 years old.
fish – What concrete evidence is there that Ortiz ever failed a PED test?
I don’t particularly care, because I think all the juicers who performed at Ortiz’s level or thereabouts should be in the Hall, since they were playing against other juicers who never got caught. Victor Conte of BALCO notoriety famously said the tests were so easy to skirt that “only the dumb and the dumber” got caught.
But for accuracy’s sake, I have to point out that Ortiz and Manny both failed the 2003 survey test but neither made it into the Mitchell Report, which was led by George Mitchell, a member of the Red Sox Board of Directors. George’s selection to head the “investigation” was a classic Selig move — as if he couldn’t have found someone else with less of a blatant conflict of interest.
@ whyhayzee, very nice list, but Pops belings in that family
Willie Stargell 32 HR, NL MVP & hit .400 in the WS with 3 HR at age 39 for the 79 Pirates.
So you’re claiming he was clean over his career? Cmon now let’s not show such a naivity.
And of those, only Btre might have been a user. Chipper possibly too. Look qith all the lies and the projections that more than half the players from that Era did PEDs you just never know. As for threst, just amazing.
@acringfish Not in the 2010s. Ortiz failed a test in 2003 that even the commissioner said was a false positive. His production improved after he was being tested 10 times per season. Reading comprehension is fundamental to commenting intelligently.
@gbs42 Ortiz failed the survey test in 2003. The commissioner said at the time, and many times since, that it was a false positive. They were not allowed by the MLBPA to test B samples to prove it one way or another. His performance improved after that, so either he is the smartest man out there and avoided getting popped while being tested 10 times per season (that was the cost of failing the survey testing) or he never used PED.
Really? You have proof of that
Mr. Person, the results of the survey testing were supposed to be anonymous, and Manfred said there were double-digit false positives, all but saying Ortiz was one of them.
Why does it matter to you? In my opinion, we need to move on from pointing fingers and make Hall of Fame selections based on a player’s accomplishments. Why should an admiited Andro user like Piazza be enshrined but not Bonds and Clemens?
He did it with steroids, just like barry bonds.
Who cares? And Piazza didn’t? These guys are easy-call Hall of Famers who don’t require a two-minute explanation of their credentials. Major League Baseball willfully looked the other way for obviou$ rea$on$.
I’m a fan of Papi, but I readily acknowledge people have a right to be suspicious.
And what most don’t even realize, in 2006 when he smashed his personal record and Red Sox team record for homeruns by hitting 54, he twice went to the hospital in August because of an irregular heartbeat. It was never talked about, never satisfactorily explained. At the very least it was one heck of a coincidence, and he was only 30 at the time.
54 HR in 151 games that year, but he averaged just 31 HR during the remainder of his career (10 years) and never hit more than 38 again.
And put up those numbers at age 41 while in pain, hence the decision to retire, if we are to take Ortiz’s word.
Yes; but other than the early one from the infamous Selena Roberts leak, ARod never failed a test, either. So how much weight do you want to out on that?
No one knows what Ortiz tested positive for. They would not tell him.
I thought of Stargell and forgot to look it up. Good call.
Fever: Ortiz also had a wrist injury later in his career that probably took away from his home runs. I remember reading people saying that it takes a while for power to come back fully after it. He may have had his hamate bone removed. Do you remember that?
sn0048: Ortiz had foot problems for years. He said he felt like he was playing on two stumps. Does that indicate steroid use or non-use? I can’t seem to get an answer on that.
There was none. Just he was a big muscle guy when the PEDS starting hitting the fan. That and suddenly became a star so it was assumed he did.
He was on the Mitchell report, so that is evidence that he failed a PED test.
suit – Sure, that was 2008 which explains him playing in only 109 games that year. And in 2009 he had the worst year of his Red Sox career, at least partially due to the wrist.
But the remaining 8 years?
a37H: No, Ortiz was not named in the Mitchell report.
Fever: Thanks. So, my point is the wrist injury will drag down the 31 HR average you mentioned. I guess not too much though.
I am not convinced Ortiz used steroids based on what we have to work with so far.
suit – Just to reiterate, I’m not convinced either. I’m just saying it’s reasonable to allow for the possibility.
And the times he went on a rage, like when he smashed the phone in Oriole Park, just add more fuel to the fire.
Fever: I was at that game. What year was that? Pedroia was still playing.
Fever: It was 2013. Just googled it.
suit – That was the second, lesser wrist injury. 2008 was the initial, more serious injury.
nytimes.com/2008/06/04/sports/baseball/04redsox.ht…
Ortiz was not named in the Mitchell Report.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Basebal…
I wanted to see him play to 45 like those Dominicans can? Julio Franco, Nelson Cruz, Bartolo Colon, I’d like to think Albert Pujols if he kept himself in better shape? For me, David Ortiz had 3 more years in the tank?
Exactly!
Fever: OK. Got it. I actually meant that 2013 was the phone smashing incident.
Very similar to how the NFL “investigated” the cheating by Brady, Belichick and the Patriots. NFL Commissioner was close pals with Belichick frequently attended his backyard BBQs. The multiple cheating “investigations” of the Patriots were “white washed”….
I’ve never heard of the Commissioner saying Ortiz’s test was a false positive. If you have some proof of that, please post it here.
Minor correction: Ortiz did not play baseball when he was 41. His birthday is in November and he his last game was at age 40.
@sn0048: “And put up those numbers at age 41 while in pain, hence the decision to retire”
He put them up at age 40. His birthday is November 1975 and his final season was 2016.
Agreed. As I’ve said before Ortiz had the best year ever for a hitter over 40. Imagine how many he would have it in 19 if both he and the ball were juiced. He belongs in the City of Boston HOF for how he brought the City together in 13 but no who I think cheated the game belongs in Cooperstown. adjust my belief that he used PEDs his entire Red Sox career. To think he hit more taters (George Scott language) than Yaz is hard to fathom. Explanation to me is he used.
Just means he was guided better than others. PED scientists were always a few years ahead of the tests. Such is why I laugh when someone gets caught using “old school” stuff.
Not did as old as Papi and if you recall, he was complaining most of 2016 with ” aching feet”. Either his year was even more amazing or his feet was just an excuse because he knew he’d fail a future test. just my belief again. I’m as big a Sox fan as there is but I try to remain objective.
My problem has been those players who were not using who would get more consideration except for the comparisons to the suspected users. Make everyone alive in the hall take alie detector test. Not admissible legally but has been used for decades to help decide credibility. Piazza and Bagwell should not be in while Munson and Garvey for example are not.
you make so much in your head! stop it! big papi is and always will be a cheater… just like BB
his dad told him
Did all those players retire after?
I suspect that if there had ever been any effort to examine players throughout the years in which HoF nominations were conducted, a great many guys never would have been enshrined. But this modern day lens du jour has precluded Rose, Bonds and Clemens ever getting in.
I have no feelings one way or the other about Pappi, but the quote “even the commissioner” is laughable. No one, and i mean NO ONE, has less credibility on the subject of steroids than Bud Selig.
Any comment which recalls Willie Stargell and his greatness is a comment worth reading. Thanks for making my day.
Is that a cross between “naïveté” and “nativity” for the Christmas season? As for Ortiz, I’m mixed on the whole PED thing. Of course cheating is wrong, but you’re assumed to be a cheater if you have high power numbers regardless of whether you tested positive. To my knowledge, the one thing PEDs can’t help with is accuracy. Players that can hit that well consistently throughout their careers deserve to be in the Hall of Fame in my estimation.
fever pitch- many things can cause irregular heart beat. anxiety, legal prescription meds, etc.
truth is we want to colour him a user because of hit ungodly hit tool in a time when most guys were using to do it.
the fact he could have been one of the 10 false positives and there was no drop off after tells me he is what he was- a pure hitter touched by god.
there’s want to be and born to be- david ortiz was born to hit a baseball.
nyy42: There is zero evidence Ortiz did steroids. You cannot prove it here. No one can. There is no evidence out there that proves he did steroids. It is very unfair to conclude things without actual evidence.
Are there really people who don’t believe Papi did some form of PED? Really? Just being implicated in the 2003 report raises enough suspicion… and hundreds of players were able to fool the tests over the years… every caught PED user was skirting the system for years, remember that
I appreciate that you stated your position up front as I like that. You statements on Ortiz were absolutely correct and so often twisted.
I would argue against you on the Hall though. Your statement of ‘since they were playing against other juicers who never got caught’ is not factual on the whole. They played in a game with other juicers to be certain, but to assume the game was full of juicers is off the rails. Considering how you are pointing out facts in the Ortiz discussion I would think you would stay that course. The majority of players, then and now, have not once tested positive. So to grant the ones that did entry to the Hall is just wrong.
Think about it this way. Have you ever heard these kind of defensive statements:
– Everyone cheats on their significant other so it’s ok
– Everyone pirates/steals XYZ (music, software, etc.)
– Everyone does XZ so it makes it ok that I did XYZ
Those are common excuses for doing the wrong things in our society. If we do give some things a pass, where does it end? Does it become ok to loot, pillage and plunder(seems like it already is). Sexual assault is ok because everyone does it. Murder is acceptable, everyone does it.
Yes, I am being a bit dramatic, but I am just trying to explain why I hate the stance that juicers weren’t hurting anyone. They were. Their ego’s and lust for attention, money, or whatever, caused them to do something they knew was wrong. While doing that, they almost certainly impacted the lives, earning potential, fame and everything they themselves craved, of all the non-cheaters and their families. Please do not reward them for that.
He also didn’t have to play the field, which probably played a significant role in his ability to hit that well. Can you imagine playing left field with two bad knees?
Albert Pujols is like 50 now
it’s interesting how many hall of famers had one last peak-level season around this age. i would add 1996 molitor and 2012 jeter (batting only)
‘I have no feelings one way or the other about Pappi, but the quote “even the commissioner” is laughable. No one, and i mean NO ONE, has less credibility on the subject of steroids than Bud Selig.’
Great comment. In fact, it was Selig, then the owner of the Brewers, who conspired with Jerry Reinsdorf, Stanton Cook, Carl Pohlad, Peter O’Malley and William Bartholomay — the Great Lakes Gang — to oust Commissioner Fay Vincent.
In 1992, Vincent had circulated a leaguewide memo insisting on a strong anti-drug policy that including hefty fines to be levied against any OWNERS who knowingly harbored juicers on their teams (if memory serves, he suggested a $250,000 fine). A year later, he was ousted.
Probably the main reason they ousted him was that he reamed them for collusion against the players; but when they installed Bud, he was the chief enabler of the Steroids Era. It took threats from Sen. McCain and Rep. Waxman to get him to institute a marginally credible drug-testing program.
And that is why Clemons and Bonds should be in the hall of Fame and not the Hall of Shame
@outinleftfield: no commissioner ever said Ortiz was specifically a false positive. A ton of players tested positive. Hundreds. Ortiz was on that list at the time. The commissioner said that due to testing at the time and allowed supplements “up to ten players” on that list “could” have a false positive. That would give Ortiz about a 97% chance of being a true positive. I agree it’s not 100% accurate but birth control and pregnancy tests aren’t either. To say any commissioner specifically pointed out Ortiz as being one of the very few potential but unlikely false positives is just a lie. That’s like saying the 97% guaranteed positives were all false.
It’s true we don’t know if Ortiz was one of the possible up to 10 who could have been false. We are 97% sure he wasn’t though. They never released the name of the 10 and never said they were definitely clean. They just said it was possible but only for up to 10 players at most. Ortiz was never cleared from being part of the 97%.
It doesn’t matter if Ortiz used. Ortiz was a two tool player. He DH’s in 88% of his games. He was not swift on the bases, he did not have an arm and he did not field. 55.3 WAR, 141 OPS+ but not a Hall of Fame Baseball Player. Unexplainable to me how the baseball writers might make him a first ballot inductee but a guy like Lou Whitaker 75.1 WAR (81st all time), that had a balanced game 67.7 offensive WAR (69th all time) and 16.3 defensive WAR (97th all time) received 2.9% of the vote in his first year and was thrown off the ballot. The Walloper had a 58.7WAR and 156 OPS+ and while not the best with the glove at least he played defense.
Your argument essentially amounts to “If Player A didn’t get in, then neither should Player B”.
Is Whitaker one of the greatest Hall snubs in history? Yes. That does not discredit another player’s clear credentials.
“Two wrongs don’t make a right” works at all levels of moral wrongs. If someone steals money from you, that doesn’t mean you pass it off when someone else has almost as much, but not quite as much stolen from them. Just because other people have been murdered in cold blood before doesn’t mean we pass it off when we see a similar event about to unfold.
Harold Baines:
.312 25HRs 103RBI age 40.
And people try to say he’s not a Hall of famer.
Kyle lives in Seattle. If there’s an injury that requires a third baseman in Seattle, I wouldn’t be surprised it they gave him a call.
@marinerman44
Kyle Seager doesn’t live in Seattle.. Him and his wife reside in North Carolina on farm.. He sold his house in Seattle, his wife even had post on her twitter and IG saying good bye to Seattle… A lot of players in general don’t live in same city, that they played for,,, Only Seattle Mariners player who live in Seattle year around is Marco Gonzalez..
Kyle Seager will be in mariners Hof but it will be some years down the road as right now their bad blood between him and Jerry DiPoto..
Bigmike I think Edgar would be shocked to learn he doesn’t live here or Buhner. There are more but can’t remember names. Many have said they liked it and stayed.
If you are talking current players that could be correct. I am not sure.
@ bigmike0424 Wrong. I live down the block from Casey Sadler. He bought a house here just by chance about two months before the mariners traded for him. Walked by him two days ago while I was walking my dog and he was walking his
Dave Kingman left after a 35 HR season… there were… circumstances….
Not by choice. I recall an article in Newsday when he was a free agent and might be good fit for 6ankees at the time but was such an ahole no one would puck him up.
Lee Mazz: correct. He was a total jerk. That’s what I meant by circumstances, specifically the rat incident. But he really was a very one dimensional player, not all that valuable.
Only one of only three players to hit 500 homers and not be in the hall of fame. Can you name the other two?
Dave Kingman. Was froze out by collusion.
@iron — by collusion, you mean being a dick and generally uninterested in baseball outside of hitting HRs?
Not at all. The A’s dropped him because of an incident and then the Giants, I think it was, picked him up but he didn’t make the team. He wasn’t really that good at that point and he was a difficult personality to say the least. I see zero evidence of collusion.
Sending a live rat to your team’s only woman beat writer will do that.
Can’t believe some people still rattle off homerun and RBI as if they actually mean something.
Chris Carter led the league in HR back in 2016, the following year he started just 49 games before being dumped by the Yanks. He hasn’t played MLB ever since.
Fever, then what stats do mean something? I understand how RBI were long overrated, but HE are pretty much always a good result. They’re not the end-all and be-all, but they’re very good.
For hitters a good start is OPS, OPS+, wRC+, and if you are into clutch stats then BRS% from Baseball Reference.
leftfield – I agree on those rate stats, but counting stats matter, too. And lots of homers are nice.
gbs – Do you mean HR instead of HE? OPS is what I look at the most.
I just picked the stats that everybody knows.
I taught myself how to calculate batting average with a slide rule in the 1960’s.
I’ve been a professional mathematician for over four decades.
Sorry folks, but RBI’s are worth something. And so are wins for pitchers. They just ARE.
Fever – I do mean HR. Autocorrect strikes again.
I prefer wRC+. OPS doesn’t consider ballpark and era, and it and OPS+ weight OBP and SLG equally when they’re on very different scales (1.000 vs 4.000 max).
hayzee – I am the same as you in that I like to keep things simple when more complex stats aren’t needed.
That’s why I prefer RISP stats instead of RBI. I still think of the people who said Mookie wasn’t clutch with the Red Sox because he didn’t drive in many runs. Well yeah, he was batting leadoff and had some atrocious hitters batting directly before him. Wasn’t his fault he didn’t have many opportunities to drive in runs.
As for HR, unless they are extremely well timed I’d take a walk and a couple hits over a HR and 3 K’s any day.
HRs mean something but that’s just one stat, not enough to say a player is hitting well
Yes, a player can be bad while hitting lots of home runs, but the large majority of the time, homers are good.
FPG-I would too.That guy would be hitting 0.667 with a .750 OBP.
LMAO. Unless you can explain why, they they just AREN’T worth anything. They just aren’t. RBI’s mean you had a lot of people on base. The person with the most people on base when they came to bat wins the RBI crown every year. They are rarely the guys that drive in the highest percentage of baserunners, just the ones that had the MOST baserunners on base when they came to bat. RBI is a TEAM stat and only a team stat. Then you have guys that are really good at driving in runs that had much fewer baserunners, but drove in a much higher percentage of baserunners. The RATE stat is the one that matters, NOT the counting stat.
“Worth something” are the words I chose to use. Not “important”. I tend to value a player with 36 home runs and 109 RBI’s more than a player with 36 home runs and 84 RBI’s. Depends on where they bat in the order and who’s around them, I agree. But runs win games, so I think scoring them and driving them in are both worth something. Just like fielding plays cleanly, without regard to range, because outs win games as well. Simple doesn’t always give answers but it provides something that should not be ignored.
Agreed but I’m not a fan of what too many folks into advanced analytics do which is elevate someone whose RISP is high but can’t stay healthy… so they do it in fewer opportunities but more importantly, hurt the team by consistently missing time… which is an example of why I think any team that pays someone like Correa $300M will regret it over the long haul despite his talent
Agree… people shouldn’t devalue a player w more RBI who had more chances… it’s also not smart to extrapolate someone’s higher RBI% in a spot in the order w less opportunities… that assumes moving that player to a middle of the order spot w more opportunities that they’d produce the same… and often when top or bottom of the order players get moved to the higher pressure spots in the lineup, their production tails off.. there’s still a big human element to the game
If homers werent good, they wouldn’t be emphasizing launch angles to kids these days.
No one is saying that homers aren’t good.
“When” is important. Giancarlo Stanton hit 35 bombs, 870 OPS 136 OPS+. Freddie Freeman 31 HR’s, 896 OPS 133 OPS+. Similar numbers. But, splitting to ahead/tie/behind, Stanton is 15/10/10 HR, 1024/843/736 OPS, 171/131/106 sOPS+. Freeman is 11/9/9 HR, 876/930/888 OPS. 135/154/153 sOPS+ When the Yankees are losing, Stanton isn’t the same guy at the plate, Freeman produces all the time.
Nonsense. When homers are hit is a matter of randomness, not talent. Player ability doesn’t change according to score and it’s absolutely nonsensical and unscientific to think otherwise. When interpreting statistics you need to ACCOUNT FOR RANDOMNESS!
@Cosmo2 Physical ability does not change according to score, but Mental ability does – in all games and in life. Some thrive under pressure, some crumble. The stats would bear that Giancarlo Stanton is not as good under pressure as when there is none. Freddie is always mentally ready to perform.
“Can’t believe some people still rattle off homerun and RBI as if they actually mean something.” – Fever Pitch Guy
To be fair… this is the comment that started it all. He basically says HRs and RBI don’t mean anything.
You’re still not accounting for randomness. Theoretically a high pressure situation could force a player to gain or lose focus but it still doesn’t have the all encompassing alteration in talent level being suggested here. High pressure is one thing, talent changing according to score, which is what was suggested, is not a thing…. And if Fever Pitch included HRs in those stats that do not count, I’m sure they misspoke. It’s RBIs and runs scored that mean very little in evaluating individual talent. No one discounts the importance of homers; they’re one of the purest individual actions a player can generate, if not the most.
@Cosmo2 Randomness is why Freddie’s stats do not perfectly align in all three splits. They are consistent, but have said randomness. Giancarlo Stanton does not have less talent when the Yankees are losing, but numbers don’t lie. He had the talent, he had the physicality every time he came up, but statistically was not even close to the ballplayer that came to the plate when the Yankees were winning as when they were losing. Mentally he did not handle the pressure. Again, this is not limited to baseball, this is life in general, people no matter how smart, no matter how strong, no matter how gifted react differently to pressure and yes, the results can be as divergent as Giancarlo’s numbers bear out. That is why baseball teams and businesses have pyschologists. In the Yankees case, Chad Bohling, Director of Mental Conditioning and Lauren Johnson Mental Conditioning Coordinator. Baseball is a mental game as much as physical.
Well, if you could show me that Stanton’s variation in stats in high pressure situations falls outside the expectations for randomness then I’d concede you might have a point. But there’s no way score effects talent. High pressure vs low pressure maybe, but not score in general.
@wampum walloper
Interesting stat I never really thought to look at. Thanks for that
Ted Williams?
Good counting stats don’t mean a good season. He finished with a .212 BA and a 99 WRC+. If not for good defense, he would have been only maybe 1 win above replacement
Dave Kingman did retire after a 35 HRs season, though I can’t remember how many RBI’s…
A solid pro for years who spent much of his career under the radar while playing for Seattle. Kudos to him for not hanging on for another paycheck if he doesn’t believe he can earn that money with his performance.
He won’t make the HOF, but he’ll be remembered fondly by all who saw him play. A grinder who showed up each day, did his job and gave his team all that he had.
Reminds me a little of Trot Nixon. Almost the same length of career and identical OPS+. Would’ve been nice if Kyle could’ve won a WC, those are the kind of guys who deserve success.
Seager needs to have his wife put the phone down.
gfg
My brother and I used to argue over who “gets first gizzard” every time we had chicken. Now we make $15,000 a month in our spare time selling our miracle gizzards over the internet.
@whyhayzee….
I was looking for a post to respond to with regard to Kyle Seager’s fine career. He was (as an A’s fan) a constant irritant.
Found the post, then….
Both them Seager boys been chewing on them miracle gizzards since they could poke their own noses. The result? A combined $500m in career earnings.
Don’t be shy whyhayzee – put up the link. $15K a month is cheap….
Sincerely
Gizzards of Glasgow (proud franchisee)
Ah yes – forgot my only other point (this year) and apologies for replying to myself, but often it is the only time I can a sensible response. Especially here.
Outrageously Mr Seager ended the wonderfully named Merkin Valdez’s career (baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX201109250.shtm…) with a HR in 2011. I’m yet to chew a gizzard with Kyle and discuss his retirement plans but rest assured his lady wife will tweet the nuggets of the conversation.
BTW David Ortiz ordered a lifetime supply of whyhayzee’s miracle gizzards when forlorn on a Greyhound bus trip from the twin cities to Boston. Is that relevant? His wearing of the no 34 not being a tribute to Kirby Puckett but an acknowledgement of whyhayzee’s belt size (imperial inches) and a testament to the slim waisted health giving properties of said gizzards.
Wow.
Shocker there! I didn’t see that coming.
Unfortunately Rangers should be worried this might be a familial thing where another Seager will be looking forward to early retirement after the next 4-5 seasons. Except that one isn’t likely to leave over $100 million on the table.
Yet if the heart isn’t in it, he may just sit at home with his injuries. Not what you want from such a large investment.
I guess this all makes more sense after the picture of his kids being Ranger fans due to their uncle. He had an awesome career.
Nop he nop
Kyle came into the league right when I became a baseball fan, he’s been a constant for me. Thanks for the memories.
wtf
Congratulations on a fantastic career! I remember watching you destroy AAA, but most people had their eyes on another Carolina Prospect, you went on to be great, thank you for all the memories!
Who was the other Carolina prospect?
Dustin Ackley
What???
alc1987 congrats to him. Was a heck of a player.
No Baseball Reference link!!??
Already, gone and forgotten!
This literally came out of the blue a few mins ago- I’m sure you’ll get that link in the upcoming career reflection article as soon as its finished
It didn’t “literally” come out of the blue. Think about it.
The Pedantric Police have spoken! Yea you’re right- MLBTR and every other site with the dozens of articles on 2022 FA’s wasted their time including Kyle Seager. You and I also know all these posters who are saying “shocking,” “what?” “didn’t see that coming,” have all been off the grid.
The pedantry and policing of grammar in many peoples comments these days gets extremely tiring. Yawn
peoples’
people’s
peeples, nia
Start your own blog then.
@jorge78: baseball-reference.com
35 bombs last season, I guess he wanted to go out on a high note!
100 OPS+ with all those bombs though. He was in clear decline but can still play. Maybe he wants to around as his kids get older. He’s made plenty in baseball
Clear decline?? Over 100 RBI’s and 100 Runs + 35 HR’s. Still sharp at 3rd base. Not much of a decline.
Look at his overall stats… 35 HRs, great, RBIS mean very little in terms of individual player evaluation… look at his OBP, it was awful.. as pointed out above, OPS+ has him at league average. Yes, he’s clearly in decline.
Yes clear delcline, did you even watch the Mariners? Seager can only pull the ball at this point and he has to hope it either makes it through the shift or over the fence. And he’s slow. He could’ve held on a few more years but he’s obviously in decline
I watched him play in a few games this past year. He looked aloof and like he wasn’t into it, despite the team playing really well. When i mentioned this, of course i was attacked. I guess he had retirement on his mind. He made a bunch of money and hope he enjoys retirement
Your litterly the only person who ever saw that. As a die hard Ms fan , who want he’d every game. Litterly. I saw nothing back t excitement and eagerness out of seager. Whatever your smoking please do NOT share
Whatever i’m on, at least i conquered grammar. And i’m not part of the usual grammar police on here. But your reply is incoherent babble.
No kidding. That comment was tough to read.
Litterly
Shore ’nuff.
Anyone who starts a sentence with “And” has conquered nothing at all
A sentence can start with “and, “but,” “or” and other supposedly forbidden words. Trust me, as I have made a living as a writer. Many of those writing “rules” we learn in elementary and high school are flat-out wrong.
Given your slaughter of General Writing Composition 101, it could be said that your final comment is ironic, at best
This is litterly one of the worst comments I’ve ever had to try and decipher on this site. Our public education system has failed.
It’s secretly a subliminal advertisement for us to inquire about what he’s smoking and for the price he’s willing to share it with us.
Are you not the slightest bit curious what he was taking before that comment?
Translation (I think):
You are literally the only person who ever saw that. As a die hard M’s fan….sorry, as far as I could get.
Really not that hard to “decipher”. I was walking the dog in the snow when I wrote omg. Sue me.
I said, or was trying to say,. Seager shows no lack of energy or compassion for the game. While I’m thankful we didn’t break the bank to sign him , seager as a person and player was awesome. Whatever makes anyone think that he had no compassion or energy is smoked.
Brought in on yourself with the last sentence.
Much better, and I agree 100%.
I went to a lot of games and always sat within a few rows of the Mariners dugout, I was also at his last game. I saw a fierce intensity with a lot of focus. He had a personal best 35 HR and 101 RBIs & neither of those will be easily replaced. It certainly didn’t appear that his teammates thought ‘he wasn’t into it.’ Quite the opposite. You seem like a very positive & upbeat man. Bless you for that
I’m a Mariners fan and have no problem saying that Kyle was a but dramatic. He was known to go to his buddy Divish to air drama. With that said, he was a very good player for the team and never gave less than 100% on the field
I agree that comment was bad but so was your post. What you saw as aloof was the easy going laid back player. If you saw any of his interviews you would have known. It is as ignorant as I saw Brady play 1 game. Threw 3 ints took 3 sacks and fumbled one. I could say I watched him and he was no good. Pretty tough to make that comment about a GG A/S player with those numbers.
Litterly…..lol
Even when spelled correctly, the word “literally” is used way too much and usually incorrectly. It drives me nuts and is an internet epidemic. People seem to think it makes their point stronger. It doesn’t.
My other pet language peeve is people who write “should of” and “could of” instead of “should have” and “could have.”
“Should have” or “should’ve” is correct.
“Should of” is never correct.
This stuff matters. And you wonder why some people don’t get their dream job. Make one of these mistakes on a cover letter, and your application gets tossed in the wastebasket.
Your literally a grammar gestapo. You should of learnt its not what you no, it’s who you no. Seersly.
Bucs0004:
And you are repeating your theory in the article on his retirement? Did you write your comment for his glory or yours?
Weird that anyone would insinuate that Kyle Seager just wasn’t “in it last” season, despite his team carrying to wins. Those who actually watched would tell you the only reason the M’s won 90 games was due to Kyle Seager, Mitch Haniger, and the bullpen.
Bucsfan0004- I watched nearly every single M’s game last yr. That never once crossed my mind. I’m curious though, I’d like to replay some games to see if I can spot that. He has an on field personality that seems detached or aloof in between plays but I’ve never once thought he’s “mailing it in.”
He’s a no-nonsense old school player who was never comfortable talking about himself or his on and off the field contributions. He’s self deprecating with a (Sahara desert) dry humor. Its easy to misinterpret his humor. I thought he was hilarious. His personality was very different from many of todays younger players.
Hey Bucsfan. You’re a moron. Go watch JP Crawford interview after the last game and tell me Seager was “aloof”. You’re clueless. Seager was the leader of that time, as clearly evidenced by others reactions to him leaving Seattle. Get a clue.
Well said rols1026
100%
That’s a real bummer. Farewell old buddy
That came out of now where, really thought he had mod left in the tank. Maybe didn’t want to play anywhere else than Seattle? Regardless, congrats on an amazing career Kyle! Wish you could’ve been the answer at 3rd next season in Toronto though lol. Looks like we’re stuck with Santiago “2 career home runs” Espinal. God help us.
Jays aren’t going to be stuck with Espinal at 3b. They are definitely going to upgrade that position post lock out.
Really hope so, just starting to run out of options. Bryant is best fit, but will Jays meet his asking price? He’s the only option left in FA, and I don’t see a big trade happening since they have made it clear they aren’t moving Moreno (for good reason. Gotta find a way to replace Semien.
I think a lot of folks thought he’d wind up in Toronto. Seems if he figured on ending his career soon, he’d have opened himself up to more possibilities playing on a 1 yr deal
He was my odds on favourite to sign with the Jays and play 3rd next year.
Surprised at this news. I thought he’d sign a two year deal somewhere.
I wish him a happy next chapter of his life with his family.
cheervladdy- why are the jays ‘stuck’ w espinal at third?
he was a top 5 defender league wide at the position last year. he’s a plus defender w plus ops who gets on base.
his power is lacking but he could only get better offensively.
take that money you want to spend at third and shore up that pivot spot in the middle w a good power bat w defense.
espinal is the real deal
Solid player….wonderful career.
Congrats, Kyle. Like most of the posters, I did not anticipate Kyle’s decision.
Just made it easier for Reds to trade Suarez. Use to have Chapman and Kyle as options. Watch for Phillies and Mariners to acquire Chapman and Suarez.
I wonder if he didn’t get the offers he wanted and he wouldn’t play “for less than he is worth.” Players forget the market determines your worth.
Nah, probably just wants to spend more time with his family…..
Achooo…bless ya….thank ya…
Buddy just had a whole conversation with himself.
If he values his time more than the dollars being offered, then his time is not valued by the market; it’s valued by his own priorities.
And good for him. The almighty dollar is not the sole measure of value. Indeed, it’s not even the best measure of value.
Waiting this one out. Giselle always said the same thing.
He earned over $103 million in his career; I don’t think he needs to check indeed.com any time soon. Good, solid contributor for many years; a career to be proud of.
And he has a brother that isn’t doing too bad money wise either.
What the hell?!?!
Walks away with around $56M in career earnings (give or take) after taxes and agent fees, thanks to living and playing his home games in Washington. I am guessing he couldn’t find a deal anywhere that was worth the time and effort at this point and he didn’t want to be one of those guys making increasingly less money to play increasingly lower WAR seasons in increasingly platooned situations just to see how long he could go until he couldn’t get a major league offer and was only getting minor league split contract offers. No reason to put himself through all that or playing for a home team way away from his family in another state for a measly sum compared to his previous salaries and career earnings.
Went out on a high note statistically and financially. Good for him.
Bet his pension isn’t just pocket change either. You left union dues out of the taxes and agent fees. At this age and service time he should do well.
Bit surprised. Wonder if the offers he got pre lockout were poor and he felt like “screw it, I’m just going to enjoy life”.
Good for him! Always go out on top!
Can’t help but think he had a lot of baseball left in him. Would have loved to see him hit in a more hitters-friendly park.
wow. was betting on him being a Bluejay next season. nice career though and always nice to see someone go out on their own terms
I didn’t see this coming at all. I figured he had at least two more productive years in him. I guess he figures why bother. He definitely doesn’t need the money. A very good career.
Good for him! Kyle strikes me as the type of guy who will retire to his farm in Carolina where he’ll raise a big family and live a no nonsense blue collar style-life far out of the public eye. He’ll wear the same old wrinkled John Deere hat for years at the wheel of a dual wheeled truck. A one team man! Good for him.
Loved watching you man 3rd base Kyle- the way you snared that line drive then quickly sprung up and fired a no look throw to get (Pillar?) out to preserve Paxton’s no-hitter was my favorite defensive play in a long list of gems. His clutch hitting w RISP in 2021 was absolutely phenomenal- his BA last yr does not tell the story. One of my fave all time Mariners
actually, ayrbhoy, you are one of the very few knowledgeable baseball guys around these days.
Cheers Fred- its my favorite American Sport, by a mile.
I love how passionate you are about the game. I’m sure if we found ourselves drinking a couple cold ones together we could talk ball for hours!
Right back to you, ayrbhoy.
Actually we did talk some on Shannon Drayer’s old blog.
Or maybe it was when MLB still had the Disqus feature.
Yes, we would hardly run out of conversation.
I wish you every continued success, by the way, on your special endeavors in the fine arts.
That’s right! I think it was Shannon’s blog. Or was it the M’s YouTube channel? Haha. My apologies, my memory is bloody useless. Always has been. Its nowhere near as good as yours!
Here’s a question for you Fred- Which Seattle pitching prospect (expected to debut in 2022) makes the biggest impact next season? Do you think its Matt Brash? George Kirby? B Williamson? Levi Stoudt or forgotten man Sam Carlson? Cheers, S.
I’m so ready for new Mariners content
I think it’s smart, he’s been declining at the plate and it’s right go on your own time.
Congratulations and good for him! There is more to life than baseball and millions of dollars (more). Best wishes!
Enjoy retirement K Seager
Kyle was the man. He was definitely a baseball guy. If you know – you know.
I didn’t see this coming. I remember seeing that he agreed to 100mil deal within a week of ML service(I think). Hats off to him.
Kyle didn’t sign his deal until he had been in the league for a few years.
Well that explains why the Mariners hadn’t been in touch. Guess this had been building for a while. And good for him. Looked to me like he was cheating to sell out for power last year, and succeeded in doing so. But that is never sustainable and he knew it.
This can’t have rangers feeling good about Cory’s over pay in years…
What does this have to do with the Rangers and how they feel about Corey Seager’s deal?
The Rangers are nothing but ecstatic that Seager is retiring, are you joking haha. He absolutely destroyed Rangers pitching! If anything Rangers fans are sending him gift baskets and setting off fireworks!! Go look at his numbers v TX. Insane what he did at Globe Life park
I have no idea what that means but Rangers fans are sending thank you cards and gift baskets today!!!
Kyle Seager absolutely destroyed TX pitching over his career.
Completely owned them, in fact, if Seager could replicate his numbers against TX vs the rest of the league he would be on a HOF trajectory. Go look at his numbers vs TX!!
Sorry for the double (now triple) post! I thought the first post didn’t go through.
lookoutlanding.com/platform/amp/2021/8/18/22631859…
.290 /.365/.514/.879 career against the Rangers. They are not going t miss facing him.
Kyle had a Solid career.. Nice WAR & made a little over 100 MIL. Well done, enjoy your retirement.
Happy Retirement Kyle! You were always one of my favorite players, and I’ll really miss watching you play. Hoping Seattle is smart and keeps you on staff in some capacity. Based on some interviews I’ve seen Seager looks like he might do well coaching.
Bone- I could see him as a coach. I can also see him staying away from the game entirely. I could see him maybe coaching w ATL or with a guy like Mattingly in FL. Somewhere more close to home.
If you read Kevin Mather’s comments or know anything about Seagers frosty relationship with Dipoto it wouldn’t surprise me if Seager turns his back on the Mariners for good.
I could see him working with the M’s only if he could avoid their FO. He strikes me as someone who would do anything to help his old teammates- he was the heart and soul of that clubhouse.
Good for him if he chooses to go out on his terms. He may re-think things if the pandemic eases by the time there’s a CBA agreement. Who knows but him and his family what went into the decision process. If not back with the M’s , I thought he end up wherever his brother went. He may not be needed in TX but I still see that as a possibility.
I didn’t get this one right either in the predictions.
He can sponge off his brother for awhile now.
Not that I don’t know anything about how that feels.
Kyle has made over $100M in his career… which is $70M more than Corey. Pretty sure there will be no need for “sponging” from either side. They are both super well off.
Makes you wonder how little brothers gonna age. Kyle’s went down consistently after his age 28 season. Might be a long 10 years for the Rangers.
Huh? I think you just looked at stats without any context at all to those them. His age 30 season was down, yes. But his age 31 season saw him post 3.2 WAR despite only playing in 106 games and then he posted a 1.1 WAR in his age 32 season, which was a season of only 60 games. Last year, his age 33 season, he still had a 2.0 WAR and hit 35 homeruns.
Corey is 6 years younger and has a higher per-season WAR than Kyle. That means Corey would be 6 years away from this supposed downfall to where Corey would “only” be posting a 2.0 WAR season with 35 homeruns. Not to mention, Corey is just now entering his prime seasons.
I’m pretty sure Texas will be fine that contract.
@mdbaseball05, Kyle was an outstanding player. Corey is a great one. The OP’s attempt to cast both of them in a negative light is sad. As for Corey’s Rangers contract, his best offensive years are likely ahead of him, and he should perform at a high level for a long while.
In 2019-20 Kyle Seager posted 4.5 fWAR in only 166 games spanning his age 31 and age 32 seasons (after his career-worst season in 2018 when Seager posted only 1.5 fWAR in 155 games).
Quote: “”The MLBTR team would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations… bla-bla-bla…”
Please leave this sappy fanboy blather out of a blog that begs for paid subscriptions and aims to be perceived as halfway professional. It’s pitiful.
Speaking of pitiful.
Who pissed in your cheerios?
I’m going to choose to believe this comment is not from a bitter individual. I’ll choose to believe this comment has been generated from a Russian or Chinese bot programmed to further divide the American public! Haha
It would be unprofessional NOT to finish the piece acknowledging Seager as an individual and a player with a fine career.
Of all the things to comment on- you choose to criticize a sentence that shows respect and admiration for an 11 yr veteran? I swear, so many people lack the most basic of social skills- common decency! Now I sound like my Dad or my Grandpa!
@ayhrboy You are my new favorite follow on MLBTR for responses like this and the fact you’re a Mariners fan. You do us all proud. Happy New Year!
Well, that was unexpected.
The man was a workhorse! Kyle was a great Mariner. Wishing him joy, peace & new discoveries in his retirement. #retirehisnumber #forevermariner
He had a fantastic career. In addition to his on-field accomplishments, Kyle retires as the leader in the clubhouse for best Players’ Weekend jersey. May he wear that “Corey’s Brother” shirt with pride when shopping at the Home Depot.
But the Rangers just signed him.
He mad he couldn’t reach Jackson Mahomes $500M
He was mad he couldn’t beat out Jackson Mahomes $500M contract
They signed his brother. Which you likely know. 🙂
I thought it was gonna say he signed with a KBO team.
Kyle will me missed in Seattle for his solid play and leadership. Perhaps the M’s can look to as a coach and instructor. We wish you well Kyle !!!
The lockout has caused its first retirement. No one retires after setting a career high in home runs.
It’s rare but it happens. Mike Mussina retired after his lone 20-win season when he was just 30 wins short of 300. Sandy Koufax retired after a career-best 27 wins, though there were health issues. Other players like Jackie Robinson, Kirby Puckett, Will Clark, Ted Williams, and Mariano Rivera were still performing at an elite level when they chose to hang ’em up.
One thing we forget is what a drag the lifeestyle must be with the constant traveling. Since Seager has made a ton of money, he doesn’t need to do that anymore. Aside from his earnings, the MLB pension plan is also nice. Also, he got an additional $2 million buyout when the Mariners chose not to exercise his option.
It’ll be interesting to see if other retirements are forthcoming. There’s more to life than being a jock.
Kirby Puckett had Glaucoma in his right eye. He didn’t “choose” to hang em’ up. His hand was forced. Definitely a different scenario in Puckett’s case.
@Kelly Wunsch & Co., That’s right. I forgot about that. Thanks for the correction.
Balance in family life likely played a big role in his decision; young and growing family.
He also set career lows in ave and oba. Even his defense has declined. Many do retire after those feats. He had a great career, but after last seasons numbers, there are few teams that could justify paying him what is predicted for him in free agency when a rookie may give similar performance at a vast savings. I think his agent may have been giving him few indications of interest, which helped his decision-making.
Kyle who?
fairly shocking for someone who continues to get results… but that OPS might be making him think its time. The Lockout probably doesn’t help matters.
If it where me i’d play until my legs fell off or i had trouble getting a minors contract. I just love the game… that said though… I never got to the minors either so… maybe its different playing in the business of baseball rather than just playing baseball.
Plus he’s got a young and growing family, and I’m sure that played a huge role in the decision.
And he’s a good ‘ol boy from North Carolina. He probably wants to move back home, or his wife does. That’s life.
Kyle was a Mariner fan favorite every year he played…most of the time with a smile on his face and engaged in conversation with players and umpires all over the field. Solid as a rock. Thank you, Kyle, for letting us see fun in the game from a steady and hard-nosed competitor.
.
Great words, Rick. Seager will definitely be missed for some time to come, no matter if the M’s are able to sign someone of the stature of Bryant to play 3B. Seager was a good character guy and a good player. In a number of ways, it’s tough to replace someone who has anchored a position so well and who has been a leader for so long.
It was a pleasure watching Kyle Seager play at Safeco/T-Mobile. He was the unofficial “mayor” of the Mariners, as he was always gabbing with the umpires and opposing players at 3B. Kyle wasn’t flashy, he just got the job done. Congrats to him on an excellent career and well wishes for him and his family.
It’s a shame that, because of the lockout, the M’s or MLB can’t put up anything on their websites commemorating his career.
34 years of age and 9 digits deep. Yeah, he doesn’t have to play anymore. Well done.
Dipoto should offer him a 10 million 1 year deal to come back for a Farwell tour… but then they don’t even speak.
Nice to see a man that would rather be there while his kids grow up and play sports and such rather than hang on for the last few years. I’m not been critical of those who do, I would LOVE to hang on and make $8M-$12M. But the things you miss while being gone from February-October would really start to suck as your kids grew older. Hopefully he can be there with them during this time in their lives. And $163M in career earnings most likely will make his post baseball life quite extravagant indeed! Enjoy retirement Kyle
*Surprised Pikachu Face*
Didn’t expect this but he’s had a nice career. All Star Game, fan support in Seattle, and more money than he should be able to burn through in several lifetimes.
Very rare when a player plays his entire career for one team and gets to choose when he walks away. Everyone thought he had a couple good years alert and a couple more bounce around years. Enjoy it Kyle!
Another hit to my keeper list. Not expected at all.
He was your keeper? Even with his .212 BA? The rest of the numbers look nice but it’s not keeper material unless you get like 10 of them on your team
Did not see that coming. Either the offers prior to the lockout weren’t good or there were no offers to begin with. Or this is a sign that this is going to be dragging on for a while and Seager wasn’t interested in waiting.
Either way, Seager had a good career. Got to be a rare one team player and made some serious money along the way. Good for him
Thanks for the memories, Kyle! Nice to see a player go out after a fine season rather than way past their prime and hitting .125 with 5 HR!
Oh. My. God.
Thank you Kyle for all the great Mariner memories and the class you brought to the team and city.
Whacky stats for his last season
35 home runs, 101 RBI set against 2 WAR and 100 OPS+.
It shows that WAR is mostly nonsensical
Wow. Didn’t see that coming. Good for him. I think it’s really admirable when someone could make a few (10+?) million more and instead just choose a different path to their next chapter. Impressive.
At least he wasn’t Bonds roiding up to keep it going
I think anytime someone retires we must ask, was he the greatest Royal of all time?
No. That honor belongs to Terry Shumpert…
What a shame, was hoping he’d sign with Texas to play with his brother. Rangers could unload Isaiah to someone easily. They’d have a great infield
Congrats to Kyle for going out on a high note. A very likeable player. He’ll be remembered as a fine third baseman, but also for his sense of humor; most famously for having worn a jersey with “COREY’S BROTHER” blazoned across the back during Players Weekend in 2017.
During his career, Kyle Seager was a quietly consistent and reliable player who gave his all for the team. I think it is a shame that such a good, hard-working player didn’t get to play in the postseason… he was very deserving. He will always be one of my favorite Mariners. Thanks Kyle Seager, enjoy your family time and your retirement!
Market for Eugenio Suarez just got bigger.
Doubtful.
Seager retiring took one 3B option off the table. The market got bigger.
Suarez, probably not. Moustakas, maybe.
Teams looking at Seager (if there were any) were looking for the lefty bat that happens to play 3B.
Moose is guaranteed $38 million over the next two seasons and he has been both hurt and ineffective when healthy the past two seasons. Stick a fork in him. He is un-tradeable.
M’s might start calling the Mets.
For what? Brodie’s gone and the Mariners have no bad contracts for the Mets to take.
The Mariners had no interest in re-signing Seager as it has been well documented that he had not spoken to DiPoto in years. The M’s will open next year with Abraham Toro at 3B and thats if they don’t sign Kris Bryant
Congrats to Seager on a good/great career.
I’m thinking he joins the Rangers organization in some capacity.
Why the Rangers? He played his entire career in Seattle and he lives in North Carolina.
It’s pretty obvious why. The chance to play on the team with his younger brother, and try to win a championship together. Duh
Damn one of my favorite Mariners of all time. Especially for the last 20 years. Congrats on a great career. Starting out as a second baseman only to convert to be a gold glove 3rd baseman. Enjoy retirement
I saw Kyle Seager as simply keeping a calm demeanor, not wanting to seem too puffed up over his own ability and performance.
Some call it modesty. Some say it’s humility. It’s good by any name.
But in the playing of the game, Kyle Seager went all out. He aimed always to make the play, to win the game.
Robinson Cano was also calm and collected, but the difference was the Seager was actually giving his very best. Cano was not.
That’s a man for the ages right there..
So I’m guessing Jerry DiPoto will go all out and throw Seags a retirement party for the ages, right? Oh wait, maybe not if Kyle hasn’t heard from Jerry in years.
At least he made this decision quicker than getting set in the box. Still remember Jered Weaver plunking him for taking a long timeout.
Gosh, I mean, I guess he made his money, but lord you still have some meaningful AB’s left in that bat and a lot of money on the table. Resign for the M’s for cheap if playing for the same team is the big issue, or go play with you little bro. As a fan, I always hate to see a good player hang it up too early. But as a person I guess I get it. Still though
Article by Lookout Landing called Seager a Seattle legend….he’s far from a legend…very very far…. people don’t know the meaning of legend
Couldn’t disagree more. Maybe not a legend in your eyes… but he was in many others.
They meant to Mariners fans, I’m assuming. Seattle doesn’t have a long, glorious history like the Yankees, for example. He’s easily a Mariners legend and will probably have his number retired eventually (if Seattle retires numbers, of course).
I was lucky and blessed to know and work with Kyle for the last five years. Always had a smile on his face. Always ready to razz someone about something. One time he made a joke about Mike Zunino when Mike was right next to us (and Kyle knew it) and it about made me die laughing. I remember we first meeting him and how I was treated. He is a genuine man and a class act all of the way!
His last game was special. Seeing how he meant to the guys was an emotional roller coaster. He worked his butt off everyday. He came to work and took the game very seriously! 3rd base will be awfully quiet for a while at T-Mobile Park now that he’s gone. He will definitely be missed!
Those who know him also know how true his words are and how important his family is to him! They have their daddy, now!!! I couldn’t be happier for him. Welcome to full time parenthood! Though… if he thought hitting 98 mph heaters after seeing inside sliders was tough… he hasn’t seen anything yet! 😉
Shiatsu4yu, I don’t know what some of these commenters are thinking about.
Strange stuff.
Thank you for this on-the-spot comment. Yes, that is how I read Kyle Seager from all I was able to observe from afar.
You have an interesting moniker, by the way.
Thanks, Fred.
Surprising, but with over $100M banked, certainly not entirely shocking.
A year with the family means he’ll be back in 2023!
Wow, too young to retire especially if he’s not hurt year after year,I was hoping the Mets picked him up
Congrats on a great career and a well deserved retirement.
What a shame. 34 is way too young for a talent like him to retire.
It’s Ryne Sandberg all over again
That came outta left field…
Uh, no, he was a third baseman…
Lol
Wow, to hit 242 HR in MLB is pretty spectacular.
A feat pretty much inconceivable to anybody posting on this site.
Congratulations to Kyle.
Made over 100 mil playing a kids game and he’s still young enough to do nearly whatever he wants in the next phase of life. Good on you Mr. Seager. Enjoy your family!! Always appreciated your play on the field. You will be missed!
I thought for sure we were going to watch him in Texas next to his brother.Can you imagine an infield of all lefty batters every time a righty toes the rubber in the summer at Arlington?Could of been fun to watch,2 brothers side by side.Huge Seager family fan!Great American story
Interesting that it was Mariners Chairman John Stanton who commented extensively. Jerry DiPoto continuing to give Kyle the silent treatment?
Enjoy retirement Kyle! One of the best Mariners to wear the uniform.
Odd retirement. He has a career high in HRs and RBI in his final year. Maybe the career low in BA may be a part since he pretty much was all or nothing this year.
Northwest Cabarrus High School’s finest.
Good for him. This damn pandemic has shed light on what is important to many. He’s made his big paychecks, he’s past his prime, he has a young family and just wants to watch them grow up together.
Hats off, well done sir, enjoy your post-baseball life.
I mean he’s made a lot of money, but he could have gotten a 20-24M a year even for one season. I would have just gone to the Rangers and played with my bro for at least 1 or 2 seasons. But that’s me. Rangers are going YOLO anyway.
My guess is he’s burnt out. A year away and he will “find his love for the game” and be back
Kyle played many good games against my Padres over the years. All the best to him. Who will officially take over his position? Maybe Ty France will move to third to man that position for a while?
Helluva career Seags! Hopefully King follows you next as a career (regular season*) Mariner lifer.
*Obviously not postseason….
Seager is leaving a lot of money on the table. Maybe, he has made enough $$$$. is tired of all the travel, wants to spend more time with his family and kids before they grow up etc…
Got to respect the man and his decision.
He’s a free agent. We don’t know that he had any offers. How is he leaving money on the table?
Like most, I’m pretty surprised by this. I figured there was a good chance of him playing with his brother since they were both FA’s. Also, I didn’t realize that Kyle got a $100 million dollar deal. Especially considering that size deal was rarer back in ‘14. Congrats on the retirement, Kyle!
Imagine how sick of the game you must be to quit on 2/25m or 1/15m offers.
Well, it’s January. So all you MLB and MLBPA clowns can start discussing or posturing or whatever and get baseball repaired! End the Lockout!
Get it done!
I’m just glad the Jays cant sign him now.