2020-2021 Hot Stove Thread

[Petert]

Which begs the question if you could keep White or Haniger on Whites current contract, who'dyarather?

I'd choose Haniger.

Haniger. It’s because he’s a known quantity at a level which merits that contract. It’s not based on potential, although he does have to climb back on the horse, so to speak.

[D-train]

Can't believe he is turning 30 this month. I wonder how they came up with the $10k over $3M. lol

The Mariners and outfielder Mitch Haniger have agreed to a one-year, $3.01MM contract, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray (Twitter link). The deal replicates the agreement made between the two sides last winter heading into Haniger’s first year of arbitration eligibility, which is no surprise given that Haniger missed the entire 2020 season.

Haniger hasn’t played since June 6, 2019, when he suffered a ruptured testicle. While rehabbing from that horrific injury, Haniger then tore an adductor muscle that eventually led to a pair of surgeries (one for his core, the other a discectomy) during the 2019-20 offseason and he never got onto the field last year. However, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto indicated during his end-of-season press conference that Haniger was making good progress in his recovery and was expected to be ready for the start of the 2021 season.

Seattle’s decision to tender Haniger a contract reinforces that optimism in the outfielder’s health, and he will now look to resume what had been a very promising career. Haniger hit .271/.351/.486 with 57 home runs over his first 1376 plate appearances in a Mariners uniform, emerging as Seattle’s breakout star of the memorable November 2016 deal with the Diamondbacks that sent Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte to Arizona.

Haniger (who turns 30 in December) is under team control through the 2022 season, so a good performance in 2021 will line him up for a nice raise in third and final year of arbitration eligibility. While the M’s might make some level of a push to reach the playoffs next season, Haniger might still project as a trade chip for the deadline if he regains his old form. Between Kyle Lewis and star prospects Jarred Kelenic, Julio Rodriguez, and Taylor Trammell, Seattle is loaded with young outfielders, so Haniger could still be expendable. For now, however, the focus is just on getting Haniger fully recovered after all of his health woes over the last 18 months.

With Haniger’s deal settled, the Mariners have two remaining arbitration candidates in J.P. Crawford and Tom Murphy.

[Lamda]

I can't believe Haniger's side was arguing over the amount of the contract. They 'avoided' arbitration by agreeing... he didn't play last year - what was his argument for more $??? I mean I know he'd give his left nut for the team but he didn't play last year, lol

[D-train]

I can't believe Haniger's side was arguing over the amount of the contract. They 'avoided' arbitration by agreeing... he didn't play last year - what was his argument for more $??? I mean I know he'd give his left nut for the team but he didn't play last year, lol

Well he is getting paid on what he is expected to contribute in 2021 so $3M is still a bargain imo. btw he didn't get a raise. He got the prorated portion of $3.01M in 2020 as well.

[Donn Beach]

arguing?...they agreed to the contract the Mariners tendered, where does arguing come into it? If they wanted to argue, they would have taken it to arbitration

[D-train]

arguing?...they agreed to the contract the Mariners tendered, where does arguing come into it?

Yeah, I don't think there is precedent for a reduction in salary in the arb years so they offered the minimum and he accepted it.

[bpj]

I think its a badass move by Haniger. I like the guy a lot. Not that we should have expected anything else. But, some guys are greedy and would have tried for the raise imo.

[harmony]

arguing?...they agreed to the contract the Mariners tendered, where does arguing come into it?

Yeah, I don't think there is precedent for a reduction in salary in the arb years so they offered the minimum and he accepted it.

This Baseball Prospectus piece from nearly 16 years ago suggests a salary cut has happened in arbitration:

The last case where someone walked out of an arbitration hearing with less money than they made the previous year was Randy Milligan in 1994. Occasionally players settle prior to their hearing and settle at a salary that is less than they made the year before, but even that is extremely rare.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news ... he-basics/

[Coeurd’Alene J]

Sugano posted

Here is the world baseball classic game he pitched in

https://youtu.be/T23oQpOYBcQ

[Coeurd’Alene J]

The Mariners announced Monday that they’ve claimed righty Robert Dugger off waivers from the Marlins. Seattle also lost righty Ian Hamilton to the Phillies and righty Walker Lockett to the Blue Jays.

Dugger, 25, was an 18th-round pick of the Mariners back in 2016 but landed in Miami as part of the package that sent Dee Strange-Gordon to Seattle. He’s made a handful of appearances with the Fish over the past two seasons but hasn’t found much success, posting a 7.40 ERA and a 29-to-20 K/BB ratio in 45 innings. Dugger’s struggles have persisted in Triple-A, although he had a solid track record up through the Double-A level, where he owns a 3.60 ERA with 9.0 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 in 180 innings of work.

Lack of track record in the Majors and Triple-A not withstanding, Dugger gives the Mariners an optionable piece of rotation depth — perhaps one they feel will benefit from a change of scenery. Dugger also saw a pronounced jump in his four-seam fastball velocity from 2019 to 2020 (90.3 mph to 92.1 mph) and in his heater’s spin rate (2191 rpm to 2321 rpm), so perhaps the Mariners believe they can help him build upon those positive indicators.