Kyle Seager retires after 11 seasons

Free-agent third baseman Kyle Seager announced his retirement from Major League Baseball through a letter shared Wednesday by his wife, Julie, on Twitter.

Seager, 34, spent his entire 11-year career with the Seattle Mariners, breaking into the majors in 2011 after being a third-round pick in the 2009 draft.

The former Gold Glove winner and All-Star retires hitting .251/.321/.442 with 242 home runs and 55 stolen bases over 1,480 games played.

Seager ranks third in Mariners franchise history with 309 doubles, behind only Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez.

"Thank you for everything you have done for our team, our fans, and our city," the club said in a statement. "As one of the best to ever put on a Mariners uniform, your passion and example of what it means to be a professional will echo throughout the organization for years to come."

At the beginning of the offseason, the Mariners declined a $20-million team option to retain Seager through the 2022 campaign, making him a free agent. That decision was expected after Seattle's then-CEO and president Kevin Mather told a local Rotary Club in February that 2021 was likely Seager's last season with the team and described him as "probably overpaid." Mather resigned after video of his comments surfaced online.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson congratulated Seager on an "outstanding career."