Report: Figgins heads to Seattle for 4 years $36M

by JasonB on Dec 5, 2009 12:13 PM EST Comment 8 comments

Chone Figgins (notes) is moving up the coast in the AL West. And Seattle has a dynamic replacement for Adrian Beltre (notes) at third base—even before Beltre is officially gone.

The Mariners and Figgins have reached a preliminary agreement on a $36 million, four-year contract pending a physical, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Friday night.

The contract for the former Los Angeles Angels sparkplug includes a vesting option for 2014 that could make the deal worth $45 million over five years.

Pretty big money... Obviously the Beltre deal now becomes the bellweather, but how does this make you feel about the Polanco deal now?

Also, it's interesting that it was the Mariners who made this deal. That certainly makes it seem that Beltre is after even more than Figgins.

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Boras+Beltre+comp draft pick+Red Sox in market is a poison stew and would have wrecked the Phillies’ salary structure for guys who have proved themselves over the past few years. Beltre may have been the best talent fit, but at this point, assuming a salary match for Beltre, which is debatable, the Phillies hold onto at least a draft pick and $18MM (over 4 years). Also, it shows you the kind of deal the Mariners couldn’t get done with Beltre, assuming they were ever an option.

I hope that in that time frame the Phillies can at long last develop and/or trade for a legit younger third baseman and put the Schmidt-Rolen curse to bed, now that we’ve seemed to crack the nut on developing/gathering corner outfielders.

by Wet Luzinski on Dec 5, 2009 1:15 PM EST reply actions

Beltre is a Type B Free Agent. Mariners receive a compensatory pick for him. The team that signs him will not lose any picks.

by yosoysean on Dec 5, 2009 10:49 PM EST up reply actions

$45/5

I’m pretty sure another year at a similar rate vests with some requirements that wouldn’t be met only if Figgins has a serious injury or goes all Soriano on this contract.

by RodeoJones on Dec 5, 2009 7:36 PM EST reply actions

I feel good

The Polanco deal was solid, we got what we needed. Now we have more money to go after more pitching. Plus when Moyers contract runs out we will have even more money set aside to try to sign Lee next year . Figgins and Beltre would have eaten up needed money for pitching. Polanco is versatile , has a good bat, and his multi position ability is also a plus.

We don't play stats, we play baseball.

by W.P.M on Dec 5, 2009 10:08 PM EST reply actions

If it would help us sign Lee, I would just as well pocket the extra money now to add to the pot at the end of the year. (We can put it a 1-year CD or something…) Any good pitching we get now will be costly enough to hurt our chances to get Lee. Any mid-priced pitching we get now will be unlikely to be much of an improvement over our current options, either starting or relief.

by taco pal on Dec 7, 2009 9:55 AM EST up reply actions

Figgins at $9m per sounds right to me, but not for five years (counting the vest as close to a sure thing). It doesn’t really change my sense of the Polanco deal; I’m still not thrilled but not terribly upset about it either.

by dajafi on Dec 7, 2009 11:53 AM EST reply actions