As reported at the USS Mariner Pizza Feed a little over an hour ago: Freddy Garcia signed a one-year, $6.875M deal with the M’s to avoid salary arbitration. This is a good deal for a few reasons.
1. It’s the same amount he made last season, and he almost certainly would have gotten a raise in arbitration;
2. This cost certainty should allow the M’s more flexibility in terms of spending, as opposed to last season when Garcia’s arbitration win supposedly cost the team their contingency fund; and
3. This cost certainty makes Garcia much more attractive in trade
Anyway, all in all a good deal for the M’s (I know, you’re shocked to read those words on this site).
In other news which should shock no one, the team offered arbitration to Ben Davis, Gil Meche and Joel Pineiro.
“My intention is to go to camp and play the best I can for Seattle, but I can’t see myself walking through the Mariners’ door in spring training, and I told them that,” he told the paper. “You’re trying to win a championship and, especially with new guys on the team, you don’t need the distraction.”
He admits all this, and yet… still excercises his no-trade clause. What a dolt.
Oooh, time to leave for the feed.