Ichiro Suzuki is switching jobs within the Seattle Mariners organization.

Ichiro Suzuki To Work In Mariners’ Front Office

The team announced Thursday that for the rest of the 2018 season, the 44-year-old Japanese outfielder will transition to a front-office position as a special assistant to the team’s chairman.

According to ESPN, Suzuki will not sit “behind a desk” for the job, but rather will simply be similar to that of an assistant coach who will assist with improving “outfield defense, base-running and hitting,” per ESPN.

Thus, Suzuki will still have a strong presence in the clubhouse.

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“During the game I will be doing the same preparations I’ve been doing the entire time. Nothing is going to change for me that I did as a player,” Suzuki told ESPN. “But I can’t say for certain that maybe I won’t put on a beard and glasses and be like Bobby Valentine and be in the dugout.”

The Mariners actually released Suzuki to open up a spot on the roster. Erik Goeddel, a right-handed pitcher, was called from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Suzuki.

Seattle (18-12) is third in the AL West, five games behind the first-place Los Angeles Angels (19-12). The Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics 4-1 at home on Thursday, the finale of a three-game series. Seattle — whose outfield has recently suffered several injuries — next hosts the Angels at 10:10pm EST on Friday.

The Mariners and A’s are set to face off for two games in Japan at the beginning of the 2019 season, according to ESPN.

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Suzuki was the 2001 American League Rookie of the Year, and also won MVP honors with the Mariners, whom he joined on a one-year deal in March. Suzuki previously played for the team from 2001 to 2012.

A 10-time All-Star, he has also played for the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins. Suzuki has also won seven Golden Glove awards.

Reggie Wayne played his entire 14-year career with the Indianapolis Colts, although he still has some issues with his former team.

Reggie Wayne Blames Colts’ Front Office For Team’s Struggles, Trent Cole Fires Back

When asked on the NFL Network about Andrew Luck’s struggles, the 37-year-old former wide receiver was quick to defend the quarterback. Instead, he said the blame for the Colts’ problems lies with the front office.

“I honestly think Andrew Luck is playing pretty good despite some of the O-line woes that they’re having,” Wayne said. “A lot of people are wanting to criticize Andrew Luck instead of what I think the big problem is. I think that big problem is a lot of their front-office decisions. It’s draft picks, or it’s free agent pickups. They’ve missed on a lot of guys.”

Wayne then went on to list players the team has missed on, such as LaRon Landry and Arthur Jones. He also mentioned outside linebacker Trent Cole, who Wayne says “hasn’t given (the Colts” anything.” He added, overall, “They’ve used their money to get guys who didn’t do anything.”

Cole, who was placed on injured reserve last week due to back troubles, struggled in his first season with Indianapolis– with whom he signed a two-year, $14 million contract– in 2015. He had a career low in tackles (32) and tied his career low in sacks (three). Even then, Cole was unsurprisingly upset by Wayne’s words.

The defenseman responded to Wayne’s remarks in a Facebook post on Tuesday:

“I don’t respond to media, but I can’t stand people who think they know what’s going on like he is in the building amongst us, playing beside me and know what some players going through,” Cole said. “Put your drink down, quit smoking cigars, watch the damn game and look at playing time of different players and stats! The film don’t lie. So don’t use my name ever again because if you do, these things you will take back them words of time I was playing.

I stay in my lane, because I’m here for my team. This goes for everybody and certainly Reggie Wayne. Reggie I have all respect for you, you will always be a Colt for life. I know you are mad about what you are seeing, but this is not the way to talk about the team who gave you opportunity!”

Here are Wayne’s full comments:

“They went in free agency they got LaRon Landry and got rid of Antoine Bethea who is a Pro Bowler; that was a swing and a miss. They had Arthur Jones who hasn’t found his way in there yet. You still have Trent Cole, who is now out, who hadn’t given them anything last year. You went and got his teammate Todd Herremans from Philly, also who didn’t give them anything. So they missed on so many guys and also picks in the draft. You have Bjoern Werner who is now out of the league. Khaled Holmes, who was playing center from USC — he came and left. There were so many decisions that they made in there and they just missed. And don’t forget the Trent Richardson trade. They got rid of a first-round pick to bring in Trent Richardson who ended up not doing anything for them …

“That’s just how it’s been. You look at all those other teams in the past, you take a Seattle, when they used their money to build around, until it was time for Russell Wilson to get his deal. Then when that time came, gave Russell Wilson his money and then they had guys around him.

The Colts currently sit at the bottom of the AFC South at 1-3. They will surely need a miracle to help turn their season around quickly.

DIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 16: Reggie Wayne #87 of the Indianapolis Colts runs with the ball against the New England Patriots during the first quarter of the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 16, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)