The Mariners and catcher Cal Raleigh are reportedly finalizing an extension, which is pending a bodily. It’s a six-year, $105MM deal for the Excel Sports activities Administration shopper, which begins this yr. He had beforehand agreed to a $5.6MM wage in 2025 to keep away from arbitration, so this deal provides 5 years and $99.4MM when it comes to new cash. He was slated to hit free company after 2027, so this deal buys out three free agent seasons and there’s additionally a vesting choice for 2031. Raleigh will get full no-trade safety.
The particular breakdown is a $10MM signing bonus and $1MM wage in 2025, adopted by salaries of $11MM and $12MM in 2026 and 2027. He’ll then make $23MM salaries for 3 straight years. For 2031, there’s a vesting participant choice valued at $20MM with a $2MM buyout. The choice would vest if Raleigh seems in 100 video games behind the plate in at the very least 4 of the six assured seasons.
Raleigh, now 28, was a third-round choose of the M’s within the 2018 draft. As a prospect, he drew consideration as a switch-hitting catcher with notable energy. His 2021 debut wasn’t nice however he has since established himself as among the finest two-way catchers within the sport.
Over the previous three seasons, Raleigh has stepped to the plate 1,612 instances. His 28.3% strikeout charge in that point is a bit on the excessive facet, however he’s additionally drawn walks at a ten% clip and hit 91 residence runs. The tip result’s a .222/.303/.457 line, which interprets to a 117 wRC+. That signifies he’s been 17% higher than the league common hitter, however that’s much more spectacular for a catcher, since they’re normally about 10% under common.
The switch-hitter hasn’t been completely balanced in his manufacturing. 73 of his 93 profession homers have come towards righties and he has a .223/.304/.454 line when hitting from the left facet. When he turns round to bat right-handed towards southpaws, his line drops to .202/.271/.410, although the 94 wRC+ on that latter line remains to be satisfactory.
Defensively, he’s acquired robust marks for all facets however particularly his framing. FanGraphs gave him the third-best framing mark final yr, behind solely Patrick Bailey and Jake Rogers. Statcast had him second solely to Bailey.
The general package deal is sort of robust. FanGraphs has credited him with between 4.2 and 5.3 wins above substitute in every of the previous three seasons. Which means he was value a complete 13.9 fWAR over the 2022-24 interval. That was tops amongst all catchers within the league and within the prime 20 of all place gamers. It’s tough to quantify a catcher’s contributions to a pitching workers however Seattle has had robust outcomes from the mound throughout Raleigh’s time as properly.
He simply crossed the three-year service line in 2024, qualifying him for arbitration for the primary time. As talked about, he and the membership settled at $5.6MM for this yr. He would have been slated for 2 extra arbitration passes earlier than hitting free company after 2027, his age-30 season.
Had he stayed wholesome and productive between from time to time, he may have maybe been in line for a robust journey to free company. Nonetheless, the incomes energy of catchers at that age isn’t large, as proven on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker.
Whereas taking pictures into nine-figure territory and past is widespread for different gamers, the wear-and-tear of the catching positions make it uncommon for that group. J.T. Realmuto is definitely the one free agent catcher to get to 9 figures. He and the Phillies agreed to a five-year, $115.5MM deal going into 2021. Solely 4 different free agent catchers have gone past $53MM. Willson Contreras bought $87.5MM from the Cardinals, Brian McCann $85MM from the Yankees, Russell Martin $82MM from the Blue Jays and Yasmani Grandal $73MM from the White Sox.
Extensions have been the trail for the highest offers for catchers. Joe Mauer and Buster Posey are tops on that leaderboard, although these offers are each over a decade outdated. Extra not too long ago, some tough comps for Raleigh may be present in Will Smith and Sean Murphy. Smith’s $131.5MM assure is bigger than Raleigh’s, although he was one yr nearer to free company, due to this fact giving him a bit extra incomes energy. The nine-year time period is a bit eye-popping however that was largely seen as a option to decrease the common annual worth for tax functions.
Murphy was in the identical three-to-four service window as Raleigh and bought $73MM over six years plus a $15MM choice. The 2 gamers had a broadly comparable profile as robust two-way backstops. Raleigh’s deal shoots properly past that one.
For the Mariners, they often battle to draw prime free brokers. That’s maybe considerably because of the pitcher-friendly nature of T-Cellular Park however extra usually in regards to the membership not having huge payrolls. Since Jerry Dipoto has been atop the baseball operations division, that is now the eighth contract the membership has given out value greater than $24MM. Of these eight, solely two of these have been free agent offers. They went to Robbie Ray and Yusei Kikuchi, each pitchers.
The six extensions have gone to Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Luis Castillo, Jean Segura, J.P. Crawford and Marco Gonzales. There are couple of pitchers in there however 4 of the six have gone to place gamers, exhibiting that to be a most well-liked approach of spending cash for the membership, significantly the lineup.
Maybe not coincidentally, Raleigh’s wage jumps up at a time when the membership ought to have some additional payroll capability down the road. He’ll nearly double his wage from 2027 to 2028, going from $12MM to $23MM. By that point, Castillo’s deal might be completed the assured portion, although there’s a vesting choice for 2028. Castillo would wish to throw 180 innings in 2027 and be verified as wholesome by an unbiased surgeon. Even when Castillo remains to be round in ’28, the offers for Mitch Haniger, Mitch Garver, Crawford, Polanco and Víctor Robles will all end between from time to time.
It’s absolutely an thrilling day for Raleigh, the Mariners and their followers. “Large Dumper” has turn out to be one of many higher backstops within the league and a fan favourite. He’ll now be slated to stay round for six or perhaps even seven extra years, as an alternative of simply three. He’ll be 33 years outdated within the ultimate assured yr of the deal and 34 in 2031, the vesting choice yr. Barring a future commerce, he’ll finally spend the bulk or maybe his whole profession in Seattle.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported that the 2 sides had agreed to six-year, $105MM deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic relayed the no-trade clause. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Instances first reported on the vesting choice that would push the whole to $123MM. Passan reported the particular wage breakdown. Rosenthal reported the vesting situation.
Photographs courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Pictures.
