SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki has been traded to the New York Yankees, according to reports by multiple media outlets and confirmed by the team.
The team said Suzuki was traded in exchange for D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar, both 25-year-old right-handed pitchers. Both will report to AAA Tacoma.
The trade was prompted by a request from 38-year-old Suzuki himself, according to Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln.
“Several weeks ago, Ichiro Suzuki, through his long time agent, Tony Attanasio, approached Chuck Armstrong and me to ask that the Mariners consider trading him,” said Lincoln.
“Ichiro knows that the club is building for the future, and he felt that what was best for the team was to be traded to another club and give our younger players an opportunity to develop.”
Suzuki, a 10-time American League All-Star, has led the Mariners in hits, runs scored, triples and at-bats.
“Ichiro will be missed. He owns a long list of Major League Baseball and Mariners club records, has earned many prestigious awards, and in my opinion, he will someday be a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Lincoln.
The announcement came this afternoon as the team prepared to face off against the Yankees in a series opener tonight at Safeco Field. There was no word whether Ichiro would appear in pinstripes in right field against his one and only U.S. team.
