Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager has heard nothing from president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto regarding his status for the 2022 season.
The Seattle Mariners stunned the world by making it into the final day of the regular-season with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. Unfortunately, due to wins by the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox on Sunday, the Mariners missed out on an AL Wild Card berth. With this, this could very well be the final year that Seager will wear a Mariners uniform. Or maybe not?
After this season, Seager has a club option for 2022 worth $20 million. Yet, the team can choose to buy out the final year for $2 million. Following the game, Seager revealed that he has not heard anything from Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto regarding his status for next year.
In fact, Seager said he has not had a conversation with Dipoto for years. The quote comes courtesy of Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, via MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.
What will the Mariners do with Kyle Seager in 2022?
The team certainly treated it as a farewell for the veteran third baseman, as he was pulled from the game in the top of the ninth inning in the team’s 7-3 loss. From there, he hugged his teammates with tears in his eyes and tipped his cap to Mariners fans in attendance giving him a standing ovation. He was even handed third base after departing from the game.
Seager has spent his entire 11-year career with Seattle, the team that selected him in the third-round of the 2009 MLB Draft. After winning a Gold Glove and making it to the All-Star Game, the Mariners signed Seager to a seven-year, $100 million contract extension.
Through his career, Seager recorded a .251 batting average, a .763 OPS, 242 home runs, 807 RBI, 705 runs and 1,395.
If this is truly the end of Seager playing for the Mariners, the team sure did give him one heck of a sendoff on Sunday that was not short on emotion.