The Seattle Mariners have traded outfielder Ichiro Suzuki to the New York Yankees.
The trade brings right-handed pitchers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar to Seattle, the Mariners reported this afternoon.
Ichiro asked the team several weeks ago to consider trading him, a statement from the Mariners said.
"Several weeks ago, Ichiro Suzuki, through his longtime agent, Tony Attanasio, approached Chuck Armstrong and me to ask that the Mariners consider trading him," Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln said in the news release. "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.
"Ichiro will be missed," Lincoln said. "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."
Ichiro, 38, has been with the Mariners since 2001, when the Mariners won a Major League Baseball-record 116 games. In 2001, Ichiro won Rookie of the Year and the American League MVP award.
Ichiro is batting .261 with 49 runs scored in 95 games with the Mariners this season. The 10-time American League All-Star is Seattle's all-time leader in hits, runs scored, triples and at-bats.
The Mariners begin a three-game home stand against the Yankees tonight. According to MLB.com, Ichiro will play for the Yankees during this series.
The Mariners have called a news conference for 4 p.m. today to discuss the deal.
This is a breaking news story. We will update this story as soon as more information is available.
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