SEATTLE -- Though the news of his contract extension broke quickly and sent waves throughout the Puget Sound region, Cal Raleigh and the Mariners had actually been working through negotiations for far longer than most imagined.
A process that began a few years ago, saw Raleigh change agents last offseason and -- perhaps most importantly -- reach a more unified alignment with management on the organization¡¯s competitive direction culminated on Friday, when the Mariners¡¯ catcher formally commemorated his six-year, $105 million deal in a press conference at T-Mobile Park.
¡°I do believe that we've got a lot of good things going here, especially with some guys already locked up,¡± Raleigh said. ¡°And I think it's a good mix. With that being said, it's going to be one of my jobs now to be a leader and to be a guy that can make this into a consistent winner.¡±
Here¡¯s how it came together, told through a breakdown of Raleigh¡¯s relationships with the process¡¯ key figures:
Believing in the front office
Earning the third-richest contract for a catcher was obviously a big sell, but above all, Raleigh put a premium on winning. His commitment underscored a longer-term belief in the vision of president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, general manager Justin Hollander and chairman and managing general partner John Stanton.
And that wasn¡¯t always the case.
The moment that underscored Raleigh¡¯s emerging voice within Seattle¡¯s clubhouse was also one that clashed with management, when on the penultimate day of the 2023 season with the Mariners eliminated, Raleigh urged the front office to be more aggressive in offseason spending. Raleigh apologized the next day, but not for the comments¡¯ substance -- a relentless will to win. The day after that, Dipoto downplayed a need for expensive free-agent acquisitions.
In the 18 months since, there¡¯s been a shift towards being on the same page.
¡°He identified something that seemed obvious to him, and he said it out loud,¡± Dipoto said. ¡°And I thought that took courage. It prompted multiple conversations thereafter, and many conversations about what we were trying to create. And I think at that time, he realized, ¡®Oh, it's not a secret club. There is access here. You can ask that question.¡¯¡±
Believing in his new agency
Raleigh changed agents over the offseason, from Boras Corporation to Excel Sports Management -- specifically to rejoin Brett Knief, who was with Boras from 2014-23 and whose relationship with Raleigh dates back to the catcher¡¯s days at Florida State.
¡°What Cal wanted was twofold,¡± Knief said. ¡°One was obviously philosophical and one was economic. But without both of those, this wouldn't have made sense.¡±
Raleigh wouldn¡¯t have been eligible for free agency until the 2027-28 offseason, when he would¡¯ve been 31, an age where earning power for an everyday catcher could be diminished. Raleigh has preferred not to get into details on his agency change, but Boras has a reputation for pushing his clients to free agency, then seeking the most lucrative deal.
¡°I wanted all possibilities to kind of be out there and I wanted to explore it because of how well this organization and the city has already treated me,¡± Raleigh said. ¡°Like I said, it's not always about the money, and sometimes it's more about being happy and in a place that you love and a place that you really appreciate.¡±
The Mariners had approached Boras about an extension in years past, but nothing materialized. The conversation was revisited at the Winter Meetings -- shortly after Raleigh hired Excel. By January, Knief had expressed Raleigh¡¯s interest in more substantive negotiations, which were accelerated in Spring Training.
¡°I kind of came to the conclusion that this was an opportunity to take advantage of,¡± Raleigh said. ¡°I didn't know how long that window would last, or if it would ever come about. But I didn't want to leave any doors closed.¡±
Believing in his long-term teammates
The best moments of Raleigh¡¯s press conference came from his teammates, as nearly the entire pitching staff sat in the back row and peppered questions, which spoke to their bond. They¡¯re not just one of the sport¡¯s most talented groups, they¡¯re also his best friends.
Eying the future, Raleigh was wowed by what he saw this spring by a farm system, mostly consisting of hitters, ranked No. 5 by MLB Pipeline. There¡¯s also a legacy component, as Raleigh has the chance to become an all-time franchise icon, much like Dan Wilson, his longtime mentor who¡¯s now his manager.
¡°Not a lot of guys get a chance to play for one organization their whole career, and this is going to be a huge chunk of mine,¡± Raleigh said. ¡°It means a lot that they believe in me and that I'm going to get a chance to do that.¡±