Former dominant Mariners reliever opens up about emotional retirement after 2024

The 2021 Seattle Mariners were one of the best teams in recent memory. Many thought thisteam was on the upswing, but no one expected them to do what they did.

A roster full of club veterans like Kyle Seager, Mitch Haniger, and Marco Gonzales, along with budding stars in Logan Gilbert and Paul Sewald were able to put together the best single season since the Mariners set the single-season wins record in 2001. The underdog club scratched and clawed its way to 90 wins, missing the playoffs by just two games. Some late-season heroics from franchise icon Mitch Haniger would indicate good things were on the horizon.

While seasons from Haniger (39 home runs and 100 RBI), Kyle Seager's last hoorah with a career-high 35 home runs, or possibly even Chris Flexen and his incredible stretch where he had a 3.14 ERA from June 15 until the end of the year to carry the storyline for the 2021 Mariners, it was an underrated bullpen that anchored this team. Full of reclamation projects and 30-some year-old veterans looking to carve out a niche role on a major league squad, the Mariners' 2021 bullpen was one of the best in the game that year.

A big part of that 2021 bullpen was a 30-year-old journeyman who had thrown just 75 innings across seven years. No matter how much he struggled in years past, his 2021 season was pure dominance. In 40 1/3 innings over 42 appearances, Casey Sadler had a 0.67 ERA. His 8.3 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 were really good numbers for a swing man who was regularly called upon by Scott Servais. His impact on that 2021 season will never be forgotten.

Unfortunately for Sadler, he dealt with a few significant injuries and seemed to be headed for more surgeries in the 2024 offseason, leading to the veteran pitcher announcing his retirement. However, a newfound enjoyment outside of playing baseball seemed to have made the decision to move on to the next phase in his life that much easier.

In an emotional tweet, Sadler talked about how his wife started a pitching lesson business and soon enough the kids Sadler was teaching made an impact on his life.

"As I poured my knowledge into these young men, something shifted. The drive to play for myself began to fade, and my mental health improved. Teaching these kids was life-giving and gave me a renewed sense of purpose. In just a few months, our little business grew to over 40 students, sparking a much bigger dream," Sadler wrote.

Sadler talked about how they will be opening an athletics facility in Black Diamond, WA, allowing him to really share his newfound passion for baseball with the next generation. Mariners fans will be forever grateful to Sadler and his contributions in Seattle, and will be wishing him the best in his future endeavors.