Seattle Mariners GM For A Week: The Extensions & Options

Last October, I laid out a five-part series in which I detailed what I would have done last offseason if I were given GM powers of the Seattle Mariners for a day. I still stand by the fact that those moves would have significantly improved the organization, but it’s hard to argue with the results.

For those that are curious, here are the five parts from last season. I find it timely that Chip Hale was hired as manager of the Diamondbacks today, after I suggested he be hired as the Mariners manager in this very segment last season. Congrats to Chip and good luck.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

Starting today, I will lay out my new five-part plan for this offseason, if I were the GM of the Seattle Mariners for a week, in this case, a work week – 5 days. First thing’s first. Let’s take care of the extensions and the options.

Kyle Seager

This is a no-brainer to most Mariners fans and other writers around baseball. Seager had an All-Star season this year, will more than likely win his first Gold Glove, led the Mariners in homers and RBI this past season and has solidified himself as the 3B of the future.

So, I would lock him up, buy him out of his arbitration years and make sure he stays a Mariner for the foreseeable future.

In a recent article by co-editor Charlie Spencer-Davis, he suggested he would offer Seager a 5-year deal worth $50 million, or a 6-year deal at $54 million. He then put it to you for a vote.

An overwhelming 61% of you were in favor of the 6-year deal that offers the extra year of stability for Seager, but the annual per year cost drops from the other deals. Another 30% said a 5-year deal was the right fit.

Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times recently suggested that the Mariners might be best suited offering a 5-year $60 million extension. I think Divish is closer to the number that will actually be agreed on, so here is my offer is I were GM.

5-years, $58 million with 6th year option at $12 million

Hisashi Iwakuma

Iwakuma has a $7 million option for 2015 with a $1M buyout. I would not only pick up the option for 2015, I would turn it into a small extension that keeps ‘Kuma here a few more seasons.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

He’s 38-20 with an ERA of 3.07 and a K/BB ratio of a little better than 4:1. He placed third in the Cy Young voting in 2013 and tied with Felix Hernandez for the team lead in wins this season, despite missing more than a month at the beginning of the season.

When you look at the free agent starters that could hit the market this year, that $7 million option is very affordable. Dan Haren – only a year older than ‘Kuma – was 13-11 with a 4.02 ERA in 2014 and is set for a $10 million option for 2015.

I think picking up the option and signing him to a two-year extension makes sense. That keeps him on the staff through his age 36 season and depending on the amount of decline, either have him available to trade at the deadline of the 2017 season or sign him to another one or two year deal after that.

Let’s say this:

Pick up 2014 option at $7 million. Sign 2-year $24 million extension through 2017.

Others

As for the other free agents on the roster, I would personally let them all walk, with the exception of Joe Beimel. I would consider another year of Chris Young, only if the M’s couldn’t land a top-tier free agent pitcher. And since this is only part one of my series, we can assume that’s coming.

So here is the final move:

Sign Beimel to one-year deal at $1.5 million. Let Young, Kendrys Morales, Chris Denorfia, Endy Chavez and Franklin Gutierrez walk.

In part two tomorrow, we’ll take a look at fixing the offense once and for all.