Clarification of the contract structure for Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger

Monday was the deadline for MLB teams to complete several internal transactions.

Teams had to activate players for the 40-man roster from the 60-day injured list and decide whether to extend the qualifying offer to eligible players. Monday was also the deadline for players and clubs to decide whether or not to exercise options.

The Seattle Mariners had two major options entering the first week of the offseason. On Friday, they declined the club option on second baseman Jorge Polanco, while Mitch Haniger exercised his player option on Monday. Haniger’s option decision was surprisingly dramatic, considering it wasn’t officially reported until several hours after the 2:00 PM PT deadline.

There has been speculation about that Seattle will leave Haniger whether he has exercised his option or not, but for now Haniger will remain with the organization.

However, the contract he will be playing under was a bit difficult to understand. Some outlets, including us, have said the option was $17.5 million. Other outlets said $15.5 million. After some digging, we learned the following:

Haniger will be paid $17.5 million by Seattle this season. There is a base salary of $15.5 million and a prorated signing bonus of $2 million from the deal he signed with the Giants before the 2023 season.

Haniger is coming off a season in which he hit .208 with just 12 home runs. The Mariners went 85-77 and missed the playoffs by one game.

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