Ibanez Gets Extension

[love_that_reefer]

The Seattle Mariners gave veteran Raul Ibanez a two-year, $11 million contract extension Wednesday through the 2008 season.

Ibanez had 20 homers and 89 RBI while hitting .280 last season. He has a $4.25 million salary this season in the final year of his previous contract and gets $5.5 million in each of the following two seasons.

The Mariners hope to bat the left-handed Ibanez fifth in the Mariners' lineup behind Richie Sexson. Ibanez was one of the few bright spots for Seattle, when the team finished last in the American League with a .256 batting average and had 93 losses.

"This was a pretty high priority for us in the offseason," general manager Bill Bavasi said. "The signing for us is terrific because there's so few real quality left or switch-hitters that can operate in the middle of the lineup and be as consistent as Raul. We wanted to lock him up."

Second-year Mariners manager Mike Hargrove endorsed the extension.

"I'm extremely happy that Raul has decided to stick around," he said.

Ibanez said he had no thoughts of free agency after the Mariners told him they were interested in giving him a contract extension.

"I'm ecstatic to be with the Mariners," he said. "This is where I wanted to be. I didn't want to go anywhere else. My family wants to be here. My wife loves it in Seattle. There's no place else I want to be. Once they mentioned the extension, I was definitely motivated to get it done here."

After the retirement of Edgar Martinez, Ibanez started 101 games as the Mariners' designated hitter last season. He also started 55 games in left field. But the Mariners signed veteran Carl Everett during the offseason to be their designated hitter, meaning that Ibanez will move to left field this season.

"I don't think there's many guys who want to DH," Ibanez said. "So I trained hard this winter to prepare myself for the 162-game grind."

A .283 hitter with 105 homers and 456 RBI in a major league career that started in 1996 in Seattle, Ibanez thinks playing the outfield full time will make him a better hitter this season.

"I think that over a 162-game season you're going to be more involved in the flow of the game and it helps you stay loose and you also feel better about yourself," he said. "When you're DHing and you don't get a hit that day and you don't get on base or you don't drive in a run, that's a stressful night."

Ibanez is in the final year of a $13 million, three-year contract with Seattle. In 2005, he was one of six major leaguers to play in all 162 games with the Mariners. He signed with the team as a free agent in November 2003 after playing in Kansas City three seasons.

In his first two years back in Seattle, he had 36 homers and 151 RBI, while batting .290.

He originally was a 36th round draft choice of the Mariners in June 1992 and made his major league debut with the team in 1996.

Since Ibanez's return to Seattle from Kansas City, the Mariners have had two straight last-place finishes in the AL West, losing 192 games. Ibanez said he was confident the Mariners can turn themselves around.

"I think we're going to be a good team this year," he said. "I think we're going to surprise a lot of people."

Good move by the M's. I wanted the Giants to try and pursue this guy in the offseason to perhaps play first for us. He is a solid bat to have behind SExson and Beltre.

[Element]

Yeah, M's would have no LF w/o Ibanez.

[Saber]

They don't have a LF with Ibanez.

[General]

Ibanez? I thought Randy Winn's extension was bad.

Something about mediocre, old OFers that the West Coast can't get enough of.

[love_that_reefer]

First off, 33 isn't old and secondly he was their second best hitter.

[MarinersFan87]

secondly he was their second best hitter.

Thanks for pointing that out.