Nelson Cruz signs 1-day contract to retire with the Seattle Mariners [Video]

SEATTLE — Nelson Cruz finished with his duties throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the Seattle Mariners opened the season against the Boston Red Sox and walked over to a little stand set up behind home plate.

There, he signed a ceremonial one-day contract allowing Cruz to retire as a member of the Mariners organization before Thursday night’s season opener.

Cruz announced his retirement following last season. He spent parts of 19 seasons in the majors with eight different organizations. His longest stint was the eight seasons he spent with Texas early in his career.

But Cruz had four influential and impactful seasons in Seattle from 2015-18. He was a three-time All-Star in Seattle, led the league with 119 RBIs in 2017 and hit 163 homers …