The Tampa Bay Rays have said goodbye to Kevin Kiermaier. The former Gold Glove center fielder is now a free agent so he’ll be wearing a different team’s uniform the next time we see him at Tropicana Field. But clearly for Kevin, his time spent here meant a lot to him. He posted this goodbye message to social media to Rays fans.

Thank you Rays fans. Thank you for absolutely everything. I was drafted back in 2010 in the 31st round as the 941st pick overall. Did not know what to expect and I knew all I had to do is throw all my eggs in one basket and be more committed to my life with baseball more than anything ever. And I did just that and here I am today feeling like the luckiest man ever.

I’m so thankful, appreciative, grateful for everything thrown my way. For the people of this community, you mean the world to me. All the kids who changed their number to 39 and how I saw that in the stands for years and years, you will never know how much that means to me. My time here is done, but I will be a part of this community forever. I love everyone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all.

Kevin Kiermaier’s Years with the Rays

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses for a portrait during photo day on February 17, 2019 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays is doused with water after hitting a game-winning home run against the Boston Red Sox during the 10th inning in a baseball game at Tropicana Field on April 23, 2022 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

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  Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays hoists his 2016 Rawlings Golden Glove Award trophy during a ceremony before the start of a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays on April 8, 2017 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on during a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on June 3, 2014 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays wears a We Are Orlando t-shirt during warm ups in honor of the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting during Rays' Pride Night before the start of a game against the San Francisco Giants on June 17, 2016 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays kisses his bat in the dugout during the third inning of an MLB spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays on March 9, 2016 at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays cools down during a baseball game against the against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 18, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Orioles won 2-1. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates in the dugout after scoring off a sacrifice fly by James Loney #21 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 11, 2014 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of he Tampa Bay Rays celebrates in the dugout after leading off the tenth inning with a home run against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 3, 2015 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays prepares to bat in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on September 24, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox won the game 11-3. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays pulls back form an inside pitch by Michael Wacha #52 of the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a game on June 11, 2014 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

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  Daniel Robertson #29 Tim Beckham #1 Kevin Kiermaier #39 and Evan Longoria #3 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate after the Rays defeated the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on May 16, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Rays defeated the Indians 6-4. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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  Willy Adames #1 and Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate their win against the Miami Marlins on Opening Day at loanDepot park on April 01, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays is greeted by James Loney #21 after both score on Kiermaier's two run home run in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 18, 2014 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses for a photo during the Rays' photo day on February 25, 2016 at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays makes his way back to the dugout after he flied out to center field during the fifth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on April 25, 2016 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays leaps but cannot get to a two-run home run in the first inning during MLB game action off the bat of Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays on May 17, 2016 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

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  Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses with his Golden Glove Award and his Platinum Glove Award after being presented with both awards before the start of a game against the Chicago White Sox on April 16, 2016 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses for a portrait during the Tampa Bay Rays photo day on February 18, 2017 at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Floida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammates after scoring on a Evan Longoria #3 sacrifice fly in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on August 28, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays sprints toward third base after hitting a triple off of pitcher Jeff Samardzija #29 of the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a game on June 13, 2015 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
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  Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays loosks on from the dugout during the eighth inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 24, 2017 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays sits for a portrait during photo day at Charlotte Sports Park on February 18, 2018 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 and Willy Adames #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate their teams 2-1 victory against the Houston Astros in game one of the American League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 11, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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  Manuel Margot #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his grand slam with Kevin Kiermaier #39 during the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 07, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

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  Yunel Escobar #11 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammate Kevin Kiermaier #39 after scoring from second base off of a single by Logan Forsythe during the second inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 13, 2014 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

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  Sean Rodriguez #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays is restrained by umpire Rob Drake #30 and bench coach Dave Martinez #4 after the New York Yankees' and the Tampa Bay Rays' benches clear after pitcher David Phelps of the New York Yankees is ejected for a pitch to Kevin Kiermaier of the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning of a game on September 16, 2014 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of he Tampa Bay Rays celebrates as he returns to the dugout after leading off the tenth inning with a home run against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 3, 2015 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts to his run to take a 4-2 lead over the Los Angeles Angels from a Logan Forsythe #11 single during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 07, 2016 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Brad Miller #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his three-run home run with teammate Kevin Kiermaier #39 during the eighth inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals on August 4, 2016 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
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  Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays warms up on deck to bat during the first inning of a game against the New York Yankees on May 19, 2017 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

More of Geno’s stories from this week…

Q105 Concert Calendar

• September 29-October 2: Boys II Men

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  Known for their big 90s hits "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye To Yesterday." Part of The Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

• October 7: Chicago

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  The show is a fundraiser for breast cancer research as part of the 40th Anniversary of Hooters’ Clearwater location at The Sound in Clearwater.

• October 8 & 9: Sugar Ray

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  Best known for their 90s hits "Fly" and "Every Morning." Part of The Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
• October 10: Depeche Mode

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  Depeche Mode has had lots of Q105 hits over the years from "Personal Jesus" to "Enjoy the Silence." The electronic legends play the Amway Center in Orlando.

• October 11: Aerosmith

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  The farewell tour stops at Amalie Arena in Tampa. Officially the show has sold out, but there are quite a few tickets up on the resale sites. The show, however, has been postponed to 2024. No specific date is available yet.

• October 12: The Black Crowes

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  If you didn't get enough at the Aerosmith Amalie Arena show, see the Crowes again the next night at The Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete.
• October 20 & 21: Taylor Dayne

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  She was one of the headliners for this year's Freestyle Explosion Throwback Jam at Amalie Arena. If you missed that one, go see Taylor in Orlando at The Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World.

• October 22: Nick Carter

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  Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys will do a solo show at The Straz Center in Tampa.

• October 22 & 23: Billy Ocean

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  "Get Outta My Dreams and Into My Car," "Caribbean Queen," "Suddenly," "Loverboy" and so many more iconic Q105 '80s hits! Part of The Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
• October 27-30: Hanson

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  They'll Mmm Bop at The Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

• November 5 & 6: Sheila E

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  So many great Q105 hits like "Glamorous Life" and "U Got The Look" with Prince. Part of The Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

• November 12 & 13: 38 Special

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  Lots of Q105 hits like "Hold On Loosely" and "So Caught Up In You." Part of The Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World in Orlando. If you're not up for the drive to Orlando, they're coming to Clearwater too. Keep scrolling!
• November 15: Bush

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  The 90s rockers play Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Bad Wolves and Eva Under Fire open the show.

• December 23: Trans-Siberian Orchestra

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  It's a Q105 tradition. TSO returns for another night of Christmas favorites at Amalie Arena.

• January 5: Styx & 38 Special

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  It’ll be a night of iconic Q105 hits when Styx (“Babe,” “Come Sail Away,” “Mr. Roboto”) and 38 Special (“Caught Up In You,” “Hold On Loosely,” “Second Chance”) kick off the new year in 2024 with a performance at The Sound at Coachman Park in Clearwater.
• January 14: A Flock of Seagulls

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  Their monster '80s hit "I Ran (So Far Away)" is still one of our most-requested songs on Q105. Mike Score and a Depeche Mode tribute act play the Ritz Ybor.

• April 4: Madonna

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  One night only at Amalie Arena. It'll be Madonna's first Tampa show since 1985 when she played the USF Sun Dome! This is the rescheduled date. Madonna had a health scare and had to postpone this show originally scheduled for September 2023.

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