Longtime Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager announced via his wife’s Twitter account his retirement from Major League Baseball.

“Today I’m announcing my retirement from Major League Baseball. 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 34-year-old was set to become a free agent this offseason after 11 years in Seattle.

A third-round pick out of UNC-Chapel Hill in 2009, Seager made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2011. Over the ensuing years, he batted .251/.321/.442 (112 OPS+) with 1,395 hits; 242 home runs; and a 36.9 WAR. Seager won a Gold Glove in 2014 and made his only All-Star appearance that same year.

Knowing it could be his last at-bat in an M’s uniform, the fans gave Seager a standing ovation in Seattle during his final game in October:

Why he is retiring is anyone’s guess. Seager’s coming off a 2021 season in which he hit a career-best 35 home runs.

Kyle’s younger brother, Corey Seager, was also a free agent this winter, though he signed a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Texas Rangers prior to the owner-imposed lockout.

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is rapidly approaching. With that being said, it is time to make predictions for each team heading into the 2021 season following a 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign.

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The Seattle Mariners have unanswered questions in all areas of the game that will probably prevent them from making a postseason run in 2021. Missing the postseason will bring their playoff drought to 20 years. The Mariners have never played in a World Series and have played postseason baseball four times in 44 seasons. Looking onto 2021, there are a multitude of concerns that will probably prevent the team from finishing the season with a winning record.

Here are Seattle’s projected starters.

Seattle Mariners Projected Batting Order:

1. SS J.P. Crawford
2. OF Mitch Haniger
3. OF Kyle Lewis
4. 3B Kyle Seager 
5. 1B Evan White
6. 2B Ty France
7. C Tom Murphy
8. OF Jake Fraley
9. OF Jarred Kelenic

Seattle Mariners Projected Pitching Staff

• SP1 Marco Gonzales 
• SP2 James Paxton
• SP3 Justus Sheffield
• SP4 Yusei Kikuchi
• SP5 Chris Flexen
• CL Rafael Montero

Seattle Mariners Team Outlook:

During the offseason, the Mariners signed starters Chris Flexen and James Paxton. They also signed reliever Ken Giles and Keynan Middleton. Another reliever, Rafael Montero, was acquired via trade. He is the favorite to be the team’s closer this season.

Regarding the Mariners’ starting pitching, the rotation is below average, and hope for the future lies with young pitching prospects and their development. Seattle’s bullpen has potential if Montero can stay healthy, but new acquisition Ken Giles will not pitch this season after having Tommy John surgery.

Looking at Seattle’s offense, Kyle Lewis and Kyle Seager are solid, but the real difference maker will be outfielder Mitch Haniger if he can bounce back after an injury-ridden 2020. With all of this in mind, it seems likely that the Mariners will finish at the bottom of the standings in the American League.

Seattle Mariners Schedule:

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