Doolittle, 36, spent five seasons with the Nationals after being traded to Washington in July 2017. He earned an all-star appearance in 2018 and was part of the team’s World Series run the following year. He allowed two earned runs in 10⅓ innings during the 2019 postseason and recorded a save in Game 1 of the World Series. Doolittle finished with a 3.20 career ERA and a 26-24 record.
Doolittle made a point of picking on Nationals fans in a statement posted on social media Friday. “Nats fans. Where do I start?” he wrote. “Since I started selling here, you have welcomed my wife and I to your city and your group. So we decided to make DC our home forever.
“The 2019 World Series title will always be the highlight of my career because we got to share it with you. I have no words to tell you how grateful I am for your support during my time here in DC.
The Oakland Athletics selected Doolittle, a University of Virginia product, in the first round of the 2007 MLB draft as a first baseman. He spent six years in Oakland before coming to Washington with the right-hander Ryan Madson.
“When we traded Sean in 2017, we knew we were getting a great reliever and a great guy, and his tenure with the Nationals proved that right,” said General Manager Mike Rizzo. in a statement. “A World Champion, All-Star, and clubhouse leader, Sean exemplifies what it means to be a pillar of the community. He was as aggressive as they come on the mound and took the ball every time he was called upon.”
Doolittle signed with the Cincinnati Reds before the 2021 season but was designated for assignment after appearing in 45 games and finished the year with the Seattle Mariners before reuniting with the Nationals last season. He got off to a hot start, allowing one hit in six appearances before being sidelined by an injury that ultimately led to internal brace surgery. He returned to Washington on a minor league deal in November but did not complete the return.
Doolittle was loved in Washington not only for what he did on the field. He and his wife, Eireann, became part of the local community, bought a Capitol Hill rowhouse and promoted DC statehood.
Unafraid to show his personality to fans and unafraid to speak out about the causes he believes in, Doolittle has been vocal about gun control and LGBTQ issues. He turned down an invitation to the White House after the Nationals won the World Series, and openly discussed why he was uncomfortable celebrating with Donald Trump.
“At the end of the day, as much as I want to be with my teammates and share that experience with my teammates, I can’t do it,” Doolittle said in 2019. “I just can’t.”