On Friday, former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher and Seattle Mariners player Erik Swanson announced his retirement from Major League Baseball. He announced the news via his personal Instagram account. Swanson is 32 and has pitched in parts of seven seasons with just the Blue Jays and Mariners.
Swanson’s best season as a professional came in 2022 with the Mariners. He posted a 1.68 ERA in 53.2 innings, while striking out 70 batters. He followed that up with a solid 2023 season as well with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was the key piece in the trade between Toronto and Seattle that sent Teoscar Hernandez to Seattle. In 2023, Erik Swanson posted a 2.97 ERA in 66.2 innings and a career-high 75 strikeouts with the Blue Jays.
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Erik Swanson’s Heartfelt Message and Career
In the heartfelt message, Erik Swanson thanked the game of baseball for everywhere it has taken him in his life. From lifelong friends to memories that he will never forget. He then explained that his time in the game was nothing short of amazing and thanked everyone who helped him throughout his career.
Swanson was drafted in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers and was a part of two major trades before making his debut. The big one being the James Paxton deal with the New York Yankees that sent Swanson to Seattle. Swanson eventually made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Mariners.
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 15: Erik Swanson #50 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch in the sixth inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 15, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 11-4. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
In 266 innings, Swanson had a career 4.20 ERA, 281 strikeouts, and 10 career saves. His career started pretty rocky, with a 5.74 ERA in 58 innings during his rookie season. Throwing 2020 out of the equation, Swanson put together three solid seasons from 2021-2023.
His last two seasons (2024-2025) were also rocky. He pitched in just 5.1 innings this season and gave up nine earned runs.
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Erik Swanson’s Last Two Seasons Had the Writing on the Wall
After Erik Swanson’s last two seasons in MLB, calling it quits is the right move. He’s 32 now and would likely have a hard time landing anything better than a minor league deal with a bottom-feeder organization.
That’s not to say it isn’t a good route to do that, but Swanson must have felt that he didn’t have much left in the tank. Plus, he started to deal with nerve issues, which delayed his season debut until late June.
He was then released by the Blue Jays in June and could not find another uniform after that.
Best of luck to Erik Swanson and whatever his post-playing days have in store for me. An option right off the top of the dome could be returning to either the Blue Jays or Mariners organization as a pitching analyst or assistant to help develop younger players.
Former Blue Jays and Mariners Pitcher Announces Retirement from MLB