M's Roster Rundown, Player Contracts

When the free agent market opens up 15 days following the World Series, the Mariners will finally be able to begin to put their disappointing 2004 season behind them.

Starting with adding a few impact hitters and a frontline starter, the club has money to spend and roster spots to fill.

But GM Bill Bavasi's first job is to evaluate what he has, both on the field and in the pocketbook, and then decide what to do with it.

For those wondering what is available and who is getting paid what, InsidethePark.com provides the following contract information, courtesy of the Seattle Mariners and various media sources.



SEATTLE MARINERS

Under Guaranteed Contract:
2B- Bret Boone
2005: $9.25m
1B- Scott Spiezio
2005: $3.05m
C- Wiki Gonzalez
2005: $2. 25m
LF- Randy Winn
2005: $3.67m
RF- Ichiro Suzuki
2005: $11.0m
LF- Raul Ibanez
2005: $4.42m
SP- Joel Pineiro
2005: $4.83m
SP- Ryan Franklin
2005: $2.40m
RP- Shigetoshi Hasegawa
2005: $2.90m


Incentive Driven/Mutual Contracts:
SP- Jamie Moyer
2005: $3.0m + $1.5m for 30+ GS in 2003 + $1.5m for 30+ GS in 2004

RP- Eddie Guardado
2005: $4.5M/$6.0m + $1.0m/closer bonus


Arbitration Eligible:
SP- Gil Meche
UT- Willie Bloomquist


Team Controlled Contracts:
CA- Miguel Olivo
3B- Greg Dobbs
3B- Justin Leone
2B- Mickey Lopez
SS- Jose Lopez
SS- Ramon Santiago
CF- Jeremy Reed
DH- Bucky Jacobsen
CA- Rene Rivera
SP- Bobby Madritsch
SP- Clint Nageotte
SP- Travis Blackley
SP- Cha Seung Baek
RP- Julio Mateo
RP- J.J. Putz
RP- George Sherrill
RP- Matt Thornton
RP- Randy Williams
RP- Scott Atchison
RP- Aaron Taylor
RP- Rafael Soriano
OF- Chris Snelling


Free Agents:
CA- Dan Wilson
RP- Ron Villone
RP- Masao Kida
DH- Edgar Martinez- (retired)


*Note:- Team controlled contracts are for players with less than three seasons of major league service. The salaries for such contracts are decided solely by the club with recommended raises for each year of service.

Arbitration eligible players are those with three to five years of major league service that are not currently amidst a multi-year contract.

The only exception is when a player qualifies for what is called "super two" status. A player with at least two but less than three years of major league service shall be eligible for salary arbitration if he has accumulated at least 86 days of service during the immediately preceding season and he ranks in the top seventeen percent in total service in the class of players who also have at least two but less than three years of service.

The salaries are determined by general negotiation between player and club until a specific set date that is chosen by Major League Baseball. After that date the club must choose whether to "non-tender" the player a contract or to allow the player to go through the arbitration process.

All free agents are eligible for arbitration should their previously contracted club offer such. If their former club declines to offer arbitration the player is still free to sign with any team but can no longer sign with his previous club until May of the subsequent season.

Should a free agent be offered arbitration by his former club and either declines or signs with another team, his former club will receive draft pick compensation. The draft picks are determined by the player rankings that are compiled and calculated by the Elias Sports Bureau at the end of October.

If the player lost to free agency is ranked in the top 30 percent of major leaguers at his position he is considered a Type A free agent. If the player ranks in the next 20 percent he is considered a Type B free agent. The next 10 percent are Type C free agents.

A team that loses a Type A free agent receives the first-round pick of the signing team as well as a supplemental pick between the first two rounds.

A team that loses a Type B free agent receives only the signing team's first-round pick. The signing team can never lose their draft pick if it ranks in the top half of the draft order. In this case they would lose their second-rounder instead.