Cal Raleigh's agent switch could hint at upcoming Mariners contract extension

The Mariners and Jerry Dipoto have implored a unique draft and develop strategy to try and build a model of sustained winning. As things currently stand, that hasn't translated to a lot of winning outside of breaking a 20-year playoff drought. One of the biggest things that a team can do when following this model is to try and retain young talent, and that is seemingly something that the Mariners would love to do.

In an effort to follow in the footsteps of the Atlanta Braves, Dipoto extended guys like Evan White, Andres Muñoz and Julio Rodriguez long before they hit free agency. Rumors have suggested they tried to do the same with Jarred Kelenic and some of their starting pitchers. This can often be advantageous for both sides as the player gets more guaranteed money during the arbitration years, often sacrificing a year or two of free agency. It works out well for the club because they are usually still getting a fairly good deal and get a couple years more of control.

Many fans have been begging for Dipoto and Stanton to extend the Mariners young core of guys like Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Cal Raleigh. It takes both sides to be willing to make that deal work, and Mariners fans may have just been dealt great news, potentially pointing towards a fan favorite getting an extension.

Cal Raleigh dropping Scott Boras could mean contract extension is incoming

Thursday afternoon, ESPN's, Kiley McDaniel reported that Cal Raleigh was switching his representation from Scott Boras to Excel Sports Management. Boras has a reputation for supporting players waiting to hit free agency and testing the open market. Though it may not mean much, the switch could be a sign that Raleigh would like to get a deal done while Boras was advocating against it. More times than not, Boras is advocating for an extremely high price in free agency, which is something that the Mariners and Stanton might not feel comfortable with.

Extending a catcher that has played in 298 games the last two years and won't hit free agency until he heads into his age-31 season may not seem like a great idea. However, Raleigh has already given so much to this organization, has come through in some huge moments, and continues to embody everything that a leader should be. Whether or not the agency switch factors into it, the Mariners need to extend Cal Raleigh.