Mariners agree terms with 7 players, including France and Gilbert

The Mariners announce they have agreed to terms with seven arbitration eligible players, which means the 40-man roster is now at 39 players.

The offseason is beginning to take shape now for the Seattle Mariners, as evidenced by the recent trades for Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani and Luke Raley. Thursday saw them take another step, by agreeing to terms with seven arbitration eligible players.

The news was confirmed by executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations, Justin Hollander. The seven players included Ty France, Logan Gilbert, Sam Haggerty, Josh Rojas, Trent Thornton, Justin Topa and Luis Urías.

Aiming to bounce back

France will see his salary rise from $4.1 million to $6.775 million in 2024. The first baseman struggled last year, one season after setting career highs with 20 home runs and 83 RBI and being named to his first All-Star Game.

Gilbert will receive a much deserved hefty increase, from $767,300 to $4.05 million. In 2023 he went 13-7 in 32 starts, pitching a 3.73 ERA, 3.85 FIP and career-low 1.075 WHIP in the process.

Haggerty went from $726,600 last year, to $900,000. The 2023 campaign was a tough one for the versatile 29-year-old, with injuries limiting him to just 52 games.

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Looking for more of the same

Rojas saw an increase from $2.575 million to $3.1 million, and is currently projected to be the Mariners’ starting second baseman this coming season. The 29-year-old was part of the trade which sent Paul Sewald to Arizona, and his .272 batting average in Seattle was better than from his time with the Diamondbacks.

Thornton received a modest raise from $1 million to $1.2 million, and is preparing for his first full Major League season in Seattle. He arrived from Toronto in a trade last July, going on to produce a 2.08 ERA, 4.72 FIP and 1.077 WHIP in 23 games.

Topa will nearly double his earnings in 2024, going from $720,000 to $1.25 million. The 32-year-old had a breakout campaign last season, recording a 2.61 ERA, 3.15 FIP and 1.145 WHIP in 75 appearances during his first year with the Mariners.

Finally, Urías will go from $4.7 million to $5 million, and is set to be the starting third baseman this year. The 26-year-old arrived in an offseason trade from the Red Sox, and will be hoping to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2023 and look more like the player from the two previous seasons.

Focusing on Rojas and Urías specifically, what are you expecting from them in 2024? Are you confident about having them as the starting second and third baseman respectively for the Mariners? Let us know in the comments section below.