The Seattle Mariners said Thursday they have invited Ichiro Suzuki, who recently signed a minor league contract with the team, to attend major-league spring training camp.
"Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is entering his 19th season with a Major League organization, including his 14th with Seattle," the American League club said in a statement.
"He has been invited to spring training as a non-roster invitee and is the only invitee to have appeared with the Mariners in 2018," it said.
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The Mariners have not disclosed the terms of Suzuki's contract, but USA Today reported Wednesday that the one-year deal is worth $750,000 if he makes the Mariners roster.
The 45-year-old Suzuki is expected to be on the active roster for an opening series against the Oakland Athletics on March 20-21 at Tokyo Dome, sources close to the matter said earlier. The Mariners are allowed to expand their roster from 25 to 28 players for the two games in Japan.
Suzuki played 15 games with Seattle last season, going 9-for-44 for a .205 average. He transitioned into a front office role in May, though he continued to travel and work out with the team.