The perpetually underrated third baseman is getting a nice slice of cash to stay in Seattle.
He's not widely considered a superstar player, but Kyle Seager is as solidly productive as they come. You can't blame the Seattle Mariners for wanting to keep a player like that around for a long time. That's why the club has just signed him to a long-term deal despite Seager's three years of arbitration eligibility remaining.
Seager deal is 7/$100M and includes 8th-year club option for up to $20M with escalators. Contract will be official once he passes physical.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 24, 2014Last season, Seager was fourth in the majors in third baseman fWAR behind only Anthony Rendon, Josh Donaldson, and Adrian Beltre. During the past three years, the 27-year-old has hit at least 20 home runs and played in at least 155 games in each campaign while boosting his wRC+ from 108 to 115 to 126.
If Seager continues to hit like he has through his age 30 season, the Mariners will get his next four years at a bargain with an average annual cost of $14 million. Even considering the length of the deal, it's still much more team-friendly than the one the Mets signed with David Wright back in 2012. That's the advantage in signing a player long-term while he's still stuck in arbitration.