MY OH MY! Mariners reach deal to bring Ichiro back to Seattle

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners are bringing back Ichiro Suzuki.

Seattle finalized a $750,000, one-year deal with 44-year-old Japanese star on Wednesday after several outfielders got hurt. He can earn an additional $1.25 million in performance bonuses.

“The addition of Ichiro gives our team another versatile and athletic outfielder,” said Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto. “His incredible work ethic, preparation and focus will enhance our environment in many ways. He’s truly one of the great players in the history of the game and his unquestionable presence is a valuable addition, both on the field and in the clubhouse. We’re very glad to bring him back home.”

Ichiro, 44, underwent a physical in Seattle on Monday.

Suzuki spent the first 11 major league season with the Mariners, earning 2001 AL Rookie of the Year and MVP, winning a pair of batting titles and becoming a 10-time All-Star. He was traded to the New York Yankees midway through 2012, played parts of three seasons with the Yankees, then spent three seasons with Miami.

Ichiro is the active Major League hits leader and ranks 22nd in all-time MLB history 3,080 career hits.

He has a .312 average and 3,080 hits. Suzuki appeared in 136 games last year and hit .255 with a .318 on-base percentage.

There had been speculation for a few days that the Mariners were close to an agreement with Ichiro -- after the club learned outfielder Ben Gamel would be out for four to six weeks due to a strained right oblique muscle.

Mitch Haniger is dealing with a hand injury that has limited his activity for a couple of weeks, and Guillermo Heredia is still in the final stages of recovery from offseason shoulder surgery.

Seattle has significant concerns about depth in the outfield, especially after the latest injury to Gamel. The question is why Seattle went with Suzuki rather than the likes of Jose Bautista, Carlos Gonzalez or John Jay, who were available as free agents and far younger than Suzuki.

There's no questioning Suzuki's place in Seattle's history, on par with Griffey and Edgar Martinez as the finest players in franchise history. Suzuki collected 2,533 hits with the Mariners, including 262 in 2004 when he set the all-time record for hits in a season. His trade to New York during the 2012 season was a stunning conclusion to his time in Seattle, but gave Suzuki the chance to play in the postseason for the first time since his rookie season.

Here are more stats from the Mariners: