Ichiro to retire this weekend? Conflicting reports emerge around Seattle icon

SEATTLE -- Will this be the last weekend to see one of the greatest Mariners players of all time in a hometown uniform?

At least one person close to the team seems to think so.

Brad Adam, the co-anchor of the Mariners post-game show on ROOT Sports, told sport radio KJR that Ichiro Suzuki might retire after this weekend's homestand against the Angles.



But a day after the KJR interview, Yahoo Sports analyst Jordan Schultz talked with Ichiro. And what did he reportedly say?

Ichiro plans to keep on playing, of course.



Rumors about Ichiro retiring  began almost as soon as he signed with the team in the off-season.  The 44-year-old outfielder has struggled mightily this year, with just a .220 batting average, .256 on base percentage and .220 slugging percentage.

Many were angered when the Mariners kept Ichiro on the 25-man roster late last month, sending the better-performing Guillermo Heredia down to the minors.

This could be a great weekend for Ichiro to leave the team with plenty of fanfare. With the Los Angeles Angels coming to town, and Japanese star Shohei Ohtani expected to pitch, crowds at the games will likely be good.

Despite his age, though, he's still sometimes capable of spectacular plays.

So will he retire?

At this point, it's wait and see.