Third baseman Kyle Seager will be property of the Seattle Mariners for what would have been three of his arbitration years, plus an additional four free agent years. If everything goes as planned, the deal is for roughly $100 million.
Seager has produced above average power numbers at Safeco Field over his last three seasons, despite his home park leaning towards giving pitchers a noticeable advantage. At 27, the contract is probably more club friendly than it is for the player. Either way, the M’s locked up a rising star through his prime years.
This is good signing, but it could also waver towards being a bad omen that will mask a quiet offseason for the M’s. The fact that the club is committing money towards ensuring second baseman Robinson Cano is surrounded by talent long-term is a positive, but is it a move to appease the deprived city of Seattle for another year? With 38 years in the business of trying to win ball games, the franchise has yet to win a majority of them in a World Series appearance (of which they have zero). The beleaguered Mariners are well past due.
The reason I say this contract sends a mixed message is because many Mariners fans want to see a big free agent hitter added before next season. And justly so, as only five of 13 players to register more than 200 ABs for the M’s in 2014 were capable of hitting from the right side of the plate. It’s beating a dead horse to say they need a productive right-handed hitter in the meat of their lineup to pair with Seager and Cano.
That’s why this Seager extension almost feels like the front office’s backup plan, after effectively counting themselves out of the Victor Martinez, Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez sweepstakes. Matt Kemp trade rumors have seemed to cool off as well, and the biggest right-handed hitter still left unsigned is DH Nelson Cruz, whom the M’s allegedly spurned last offseason. He will be 35 in July.
So basically, is this move something management has pulled the trigger on in order to cover their inept ability to land a big free agent name, or are they genuinely saying this is just the beginning of many impressive moves to come in the offseason that will have fans salivating for the 2015 season to begin? All in-depth analysis of Seager aside, the money mostly makes sense and he is a promising player. But he, Cano and the current supporting cast are not enough.
For the sake of the Pacific Northwest, Mariners fans should relish the fact GM Jack Zduriencik has committed money to a young, quality player with a strong bat and glove in Seager. If or when the GM starts to reach again by handing out more contracts to a Corey Hart or a Kendry Morales proxy, then the SoDo faithful should start to think about a revolt.
Jordan Wevers is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JordanWevers, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
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