Mariners Slugger Projected To Sign Huge 3-Year, $78 Million Contract

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The Seattle Mariners slowly built a World Series caliber roster over the last few years. Their pitching staff has been elite for a few seasons, but the offense struggled. This year, the pitching staff was good, but it was Cal Raleigh who led the team to the postseason.
Raleigh was one of the best players in all of baseball this year. He has a chance to take home the American League MVP award. But the Mariners didn't make it all the way to the American League Championship without some solid help around Raleigh.
The Mariners took a huge risk at the trade deadline to bolster their roster. They swung a pair of trades with the Arizona Diamondbacks to add first baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suárez. Both players were on expiring contracts, so they entered free agency at the end of the season. It's hard to imagine the Mariners bringing both stars back, especially considering how much they're expected to sign for.
Matthew Pouliot of NBC Sports recently projected Suárez would sign a massive three-year contract worth $78 million in free agency this winter.
Eugenio Suárez likely headed for a big free agency contract

"49 homers is remarkable regardless, but it’s especially impressive that Suárez got there with Chase Field and T-Mobile as his home parks," Pouliot wrote. "Still, Suárez is 34, his defense seems to be in decline and those 49 homers came with a .298 OBP. A two-year deal seems appropriate, but someone will probably go three."
Suárez was one of the premier sluggers in baseball this season. He clubbed 49 home runs, which seemed to make up for the flaws in his game. But considering his age and defense, it's unlikely any team gives him a four or five years deal. Suárez is likely going to land a very solid two or three years contract worth well over $20 million per season.
The Mariners have a chance to go after him, but they'll likely prioritize Naylor over Suárez in free agency. There's a good chance that some teams look at Suárez as a solid backup option if they miss out on star infielders like Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette.
More MLB: Mariners Slugger Gets Huge 5-Year, $125 Million Contract Projection

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “OnSI” network among others.