Four-time Silver Slugger and seven-time All-Star Nelson Cruz has signed a one-day contract, allowing the MLB legend to retire with the Seattle Mariners, the team announced on Thursday ahead of their Opening Day game outing the Boston Red Sox.
Cruz, who spent 19 years in the major leagues, splitting time between seven different teams. Though he only spent four of those seasons in Seattle — from 2015 to 2018 — the all-time slugger made it clear how impactful those years were to him.
“I have always identified myself with the Seattle Mariners,” Cruz said. “When I was playing here, I felt comfortable playing the game.”
In those years, he averaged 41 home runs and 104 RBIs per season. His 163 home runs while in Seattle were the most in MLB. He was named an All-Star in three of those years and won two of his four Silver Slugger awards.
The Dominican superstar retired last season at age 42 after spending some time with the San Diego Padres. He made it to one World Series while playing with the Texas Rangers in 2011, eventually losing to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Over the course of his storied career, Cruz hit 464 home runs, had 1325 RBIs and finished with a career batting average of .274.