Ichiro released by Mariners, will shift to front-office role
SEATTLE — Ichiro Suzuki was released Thursday by the Seattle Mariners and is shifting into a front-office role with the team, although he is not completely shutting the door on playing again.
The Mariners announced that Suzuki will become a special assistant to the chairman effective immediately. Suzuki will have an active presence with the team and assist with outfield play, base running and hitting.
But, nowhere in the announcement do they say the 44-year-old is retiring, although Suzuki is precluded from returning to the active roster in 2018.
“We want to make sure we capture all of the value that Ichiro brings to this team off the field,” Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a release. “This new role is a way to accomplish that. While it will evolve over time, the key is that Ichiro’s presence in our clubhouse and with our players and staff improves our opportunity to win games. That is our number one priority and Ichiro’s number one priority.”
Suzuki is in his 18th season and appeared in 15 games this year for the Mariners. Suzuki started Wednesday night and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. He hit .205 in 44 atbats and all nine of his hits this season were singles.
Suzuki has spent parts of 13 seasons with the Mariners. He’s also played for Miami and the New York Yankees.
“With Ichiro’s track record of success, his personality, his unique perspective and his work ethic, he is singularly positioned to impact both our younger players and the veterans in the clubhouse,” Dipoto said. “We really don’t want him to change anything that he’s doing right now, with the exception that he will not be playing in games. We believe that Ichiro’s signing and his assimilation into our team has helped us this season, and we want to make sure we continue that.”
While Suzuki can’t return to Seattle’s roster this season, anything beyond 2018 is unknown. While there are no guarantees of Suzuki returning, Seattle and Oakland do open the 2019 season with a two-game series in Tokyo.
After almost six years away, Suzuki returned this spring to help patch an injury-depleted outfield on the team he played for from 2001 to 2012.
Suzuki earned the 2001 AL Rookie of the Year and MVP with the Mariners and won a pair of AL batting titles.
The 10-time All-Star has a .311 average and 3,089 hits, not including the 1,278 hits he amassed during nine seasons in Japan.