The remarkable playing career of Ichiro Suzuki has seemingly come to an end.
On Thursday, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto announced that Ichiro is transitioning to a new role with the organization. The 44-year-old will hang up his cleats and instead work as Special Assistant to the Chairman in Seattle. The plan is for him to continue to have an active presence with the Mariners both at home and on the road.
“We want to make sure we capture all of the value that Ichiro brings to this team off the field,” Dipoto said. “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.”
Ichiro will serve as a mentor for Mariners players as well as helping out with outfield play, baserunning and hitting. The agreement only covers the 2018 season, but Dipoto said he hopes the Japanese legend remains with the franchise for the long-term.
Despite beginning his professional career in Japan and playing there for many years, Ichiro ranks 21st all-time in MLB history with 3,089 hits. He has totaled 4,367 hits between MLB and Japan. He was hitting just .205 this year, which probably made his decision to stop playing an easier one.
Ichiro said last year that he wanted to play for many more years, but that was never a realistic option. He should continue to be a tremendous asset for the Mariners in a coaching role.
