A former member of the Toronto Blue Jays is calling it a career.
After 12 years in pro baseball and seven years in the major leagues, 32-year-old reliever Erik Swanson shared the news on Instagram that he’s retiring from the sport.
“My time in this game was nothing short of amazing. Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way and to all those who supported me,” Swanson said. “You all have truly made this journey an unforgettable 12 years.”
Swanson, a North Dakota native, was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2014 before being traded to the New York Yankees and then the Seattle Mariners organizations. It was with Seattle where he’d make his major league debut, spending parts of four seasons before being sent to Toronto as part of the package for Teoscar Hernandez.
“I am so incredibly grateful for my family, my agents, my teammates, coaches, medical staff, clubhouse managers, and everyone else in between who made my life easier and my family’s life easier. That’s one of the amazing things about this game, there are so many hands involved behind the scenes that help make this whole thing tick,” Swanson wrote.
After a strong 2023 season in Toronto, Swanson struggled for much of the last two years, eventually being designated for assignment in mid-June. He has since failed to earn a spot on another MLB roster. Across three seasons with Toronto, he put up a 4.28 ERA in 120 appearances across 111.1 innings.
“This game took me to places I don’t think I could have ever guessed I’d be. It gave me cities to call home and people to call family. It’s incredible how many relationships this game has brought into my life,” Swanson added, shouting out the ‘lifelong friends’ he’d picked up in places like Toronto, Seattle, and even Winnipeg along the way of his pro baseball career.
Lead photo by
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
