RENTON Braden Smith Jersey , Wash. (AP) Holdout safety Earl Thomas reiterated Thursday he wants to be traded if the Seattle Seahawks aren’t willing to offer him a contract extension.
Thomas explained the reasoning behind his ongoing holdout in a long post on The Players’ Tribune . Thomas has skipped Seattle’s entire offseason program and missed the first week of training camp.
Thomas said his holdout is entirely based around securing his long-term future with his current contract set to expire at the conclusion of the 2018 season.
”One of the reasons I’ve always played so hard is because I want my actions on the field to be able to speak for me,” Thomas wrote. ”But I can’t do that right now – and I’m in a situation where I feel like I really have to say something. Not just on behalf of myself, but also for the other players around the league who are currently in the same position as me, or who will be in the future.”
Thomas is a three-time first-team All-Pro and was the anchor for the Seattle defense that appeared in consecutive Super Bowls, winning the first. Aside from a broken leg suffered late in the 2016 season, Thomas has been a durable starter from the time he arrived in the league. Thomas has missed just seven regular-season games in his career.
Thomas said he was shaken by the injuries suffered by Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor – two other members of Seattle’s ”Legion of Boom” secondary – in a Thursday night game last season. Sherman ruptured his Achilles tendon, ending his season Trent Williams Jersey , and Chancellor suffered a neck injury. Sherman was released by Seattle in the offseason and signed with San Francisco. Chancellor – while not officially retired – is not expected to play again because of the neck injury.
”That Thursday night game really cemented in my mind the truth – which is that your entire life can change on one play. And when it does, no matter what you’ve accomplished in the past . you can still get cut without even so much as a negotiation,” Thomas wrote.
Thomas said he’s become frustrated with the insinuation that his holdout means he doesn’t want to play in Seattle anymore.
”That’s just not true, man. I love Seattle. But I’d hoped I wouldn’t even have to say that. I’d hoped that the way I’ve played for this team over the last eight years would tell you all you need to know,” Thomas wrote.
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Nicholas Castellanos busted out of his slump in a big way.
Castellanos homered twice and Jose Iglesias hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Detroit’s two-run eighth, helping the Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 7-5 on Saturday for their fourth straight win.
Castellanos hit a three-run drive in the third and a two-run shot in the fifth. It was his first multihomer game since Aug. 22 against the Yankees and fourth of his career.
The slugger went 1 for 21 with eight strikeouts in his previous five games.
”The ball jumped out of the ballpark,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. ”He hit one opposite. He can do that. When he starts getting away from that DeShone Kizer Jersey , starts pulling too much, he can struggle. Him going the other way is a good sign that he’s gonna be able to drive the ball both ways.”
The Tigers blew a 5-0 lead but recovered in time to improve to 7-1 against the White Sox this season. Buck Farmer (3-3) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Charlie Tilson drove in two runs for Chicago, which has dropped three in a row. Kevan Smith had two hits and scored a run.
Tilson hit a two-run single off Jordan Zimmermann in the fifth and Jose Abreu tied it at 5 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, but the Tigers went ahead to stay in the eighth.
Victor Martinez sparked the winning rally with a leadoff single against Jace Fry (0-1). Bruce Rondon then came in and walked John Hicks. JaCoby Jones popped up a bunt and Rondon dove for the ball, but it trickled out of his glove to load the bases.
With the infield playing in, Iglesias hit a dribbler up the middle that bounced off second baseman Yoan Moncada’s glove for a run-scoring infield hit. Rondon then threw four straight balls to Niko Goodrum, forcing in another run.
”Bruce ran into a little trouble http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/jamize-olawale-jersey ,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. ”Great diving attempt on the catch and it came out of his glove onto the ground, causing a fumble.”
Shane Greene worked the ninth for his 19th save and fourth in four days.
Lucas Giolito pitched 5 1/3 innings for Chicago, allowing five runs and six hits. The right-hander is just 1-3 in his last five starts.
”Two bad pitches to a really good hitter kind of did me in for the game right there,” Giolito said. ”I’ve just gotta kinda lock in a little bit more.”
Zimmermann was charged with four runs and four hits in five innings in his first start after missing six weeks with a right shoulder impingement. He retired his first 12 batters before the White Sox broke through in the fifth.
”I got a little out of whack in the stretch,” Zimmermann said. ”It was the first time all game I was there. They started swinging early, too, and we just didn’t make the adjustments quite quick enough.”
ROSTER MOVES
To make room for Zimmermann on the active roster http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/mike-glennon-jersey , right-hander Artie Lewicki was optioned to Triple-A Toledo.
AMERICAN DREAM
Iglesias arrived late for the opener on Friday because he was sworn in as a naturalized U.S. citizen earlier in the day in Detroit. The 28-year-old infielder was born in Cuba and signed as an amateur free agent with the Boston Red Sox in 2009.
”Yesterday I got in about 5 or 5:30, all the way from Detroit,” Iglesias said. ”But it was worth it.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: LHP Francisco Liriano (right hamstring strain) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Sunday.
White Sox: OF Leury Garcia (left knee sprain) was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday night. … OF Avisail Garcia (right hamstring strain) will continue his rehab assignment with Charlotte on Sunday following a day off on Saturday. … RHP Miguel Gonzalez (rotator cuff inflammation) threw 25 pitches off the mound in his most rigorous workout since going on the DL in April.
UP NEXT
LHP Blaine Hardy (2-1, 3.55 ERA) takes the mound as the Tigers go for the sweep on Sunday. Hardy has allowed two runs or less in five of his six starts. James Shields (2-7, 4.63 ERA) goes for the White Sox.
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