Thursday is a Major Deadline For These Seven Seattle Mariners Players
Thursday is a major deadline for seven different members of the Seattle Mariners.
That's because Thursday at 10 a.m. PT is the deadline for M's players to agree to deals to avoid arbitration. If the player and team can't come to a deal to avoid arbitration, the two sides exchange contract figures and then head to court, which is never a pleasant experience for the player - and can ultimately negatively affect a guys relationship with the team.
For instance, Corbin Burnes famously discussed the process while he was with the Milwaukee Brewers. He ultimately chose to not sign a long-term deal in Milwaukee and was traded last offseason to the Baltimore Orioles.
“You learn your true value in the organization” — Corbin Burnes in his first comments about his arbitration loss to the #Brewers. pic.twitter.com/P0GXTwaQLb
— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) February 16, 2023
The seven Mariners players who need to come to terms are Randy Arozarena, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Cal Raleigh, Tayler Saucedo, Trent Thornton and Gabe Speier.
Spotrac.com listed the estimates for those players in arbitration, with Arozarena topping the list at $11.5 million.
While arbitration helps keep players affordable for teams, the Mariners will be paying keen attention to how high these numbers go. For an organization that is concerned with saving every dollar this offseason, you can bet they won't be real keen on giving players exactly what they want. The subsequent arbitration cases that arise will be worth watching to see if they do impact the player and team dynamic.
The Mariners went 85-77 last season and missed the playoffs by a game. They have not spent one single dollar in free agency this offseason. They last made the playoffs in 2022.
