Seattle pitching legend Felix Hernandez left the mound Thursday to a standing ovation fit for The King in what was understood to be his last exit as a Mariner.
But the 33-year-old, who becomes a free agent at the end of the season, is not ready to retire.
“We’ll see if I can find a job. I’m not retiring,” he said after Thursday’s loss to the A’s.
After 15 seasons with the Mariners, the fan-favorite explained postgame that there were a lot of emotions in the start. In 5 1/3 innings of work Thursday, Hernandez gave up three runs on five hits with four walks.
This season was the final season on a seven-year contract Seattle signed Hernandez to in 2013. Injuries caused the right hander to miss a significant portion of the season, being sidelined from mid May through late August. He posted a 4.60 era with a 1-8 record over 15 starts this season.
