Kyle Seager retires after 11 seasons with Mariners

SEATTLE – Kyle Seager announced his retirement Wednesday after 11 seasons in the majors, all with the Seattle 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 RBIS last season as Seattle made a late run into playoff contention only to fall short in the final days.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Seager's 35 homers in his final season are the second-most behind David Ortiz's 38 with Boston in 2016.