News
Mariners remain mum on FA intentions
With money coming off of books, GM won't show his hand
By Jim Street / MLB.com
11/19/09 12:00 AM EST
Some recent free-agent signings have backfired so profoundly that the Mariners have become extremely skittish about pursuing what are considered top-tier players.
Memories of Richie Sexson, Miguel Batista, Carlos Silva, Jarrod Washburn and Adrian Beltre are still fresh, although most of the $225 million invested in those five players over the past four years is long gone.
The bang for all those bucks was not exactly loud.
Therefore, you probably can expect more attention (and money) to be spent on current players, and those acquired in trades during the next few months leading into Spring Training, than any big-name free agents on the market.
Seattle figures to be only slightly more active in the free-agent market this year than it was a year ago.
At the end of the day, as general manager Jack Zduriencik likes to say, the Mariners last year signed first baseman Russell Branyan for $1.4 million and designated hitter Ken Griffey Jr., for $3.15 million, two acquisitions that worked out superbly.
Without being specific, or predicting how active he plans to be in the current free-agent market, Zduriencik said all doors to Safeco Field are open.
"We will look at trades and we will look at free agents," he said. "I am not going to say that this [2010] club will come about one way or the other, but we will keep our options open. I hope that people understand that this is a nice place to play.
"I hope there are players out there who want to come to Seattle. We have a nice story to tell and I hope there are ears open to what we have to say. We are going to find out, starting [Friday]. It will be fun."
A new day starts at 9:01 p.m. PT on Thursday, when the annual MLB free-agent shopping spree begins in earnest.
For the past 15 days, players eligible for free agency could only negotiate with their most recent teams. The Mariners had exclusive negotiating rights with eight players: Batista, Beltre, Erik Bedard, Branyan, Endy Chavez, Griffey, Mike Sweeney and Jack Wilson.
Griffey agreed to a one-year contract that guarantees him $2.5 million in 2010, plus several incentive bonuses based more this year on plate appearances and less on attendance.
The Mariners also re-negotiated the contract Wilson signed with the Pirates. Rather than pay him $8.4 million in 2010, Seattle opted to pay a $600,000 buyout and then signed the former All-Star shortstop to a two-year, $10 million contract.
The Mariners have seven players under contract for 2010 totaling nearly $45 million. They are: Ichiro Suzuki ($17 million), Silva ($11.5 million), Wilson ($5.6 million), Griffey ($2.5 million), Ian Snell ($4.25 million) and Jose Lopez ($2.3 million).
Bill Hall, acquired from the Brewers on Aug. 19, has one year and $8.4 million (plus an option year) remaining on his contract, but Milwaukee is picking up $7.15 million of his 2010 salary. The Mariners are believed to have the option of paying Hall $9.25 million in 2011, or paying the $500,000 buyout.
Even with some high-priced contracts last season -- Washburn ($9.85 million), Beltre ($13.4 million), Batista ($9.5 million), Bedard ($7.75 million) and catcher Kenji Johjima ($7.67 million) -- coming off the board, nearly half of this year's projected payroll of around $96 million will be consumed by the already-signed players.
Another large chunk of the 2010 player payroll will come via salary arbitration, a group headed by ace right-hander Felix Hernandez and late-inning relief specialists Mark Lowe and David Aardsma.
It appears Zduriencik has about $20 million of financial leeway, which could be spent on free agents, trades or a combination of both.
The GM has a policy of not discussing free agents, including his own, so it is not known if he has had negotiations with Beltre, Bedard, Chavez or Sweeney. Branyan rejected the first offer he received from Seattle, a one-year guaranteed deal with an option year.
The team leader with a career-high 31 home runs last season hopes to land a guaranteed multi-year contract, preferably from Seattle.
Jim Street is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
