The Mariners are in damage control mode after CEO Kevin Mather resigned after a bizarre video interview that brought considerable reaction to the organization. General manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais called the whole situation “embarrassing” when they met with Seattle media this week (link via Corey Brock of The Athletic). Dipoto sought to distance the organization from Mather’s comments, emphasizing repeatedly that Mather was just an individual and that his views were not shared across the organization.
Mather, of course, not only everyone, but admitted the manipulation of the service time of the organization’s main potential customers, but also called Marco Gonzales “Boring”, said Kyle Seager was “overpaid” and in his last season as a Sailor – it is unclear whether Seager expected to return after the completion of his current contract – and made derogatory comments about being forced to pay translators for Japanese players, while criticizing the better prospects Julio Rodriguezto speak English spontaneously (among many other bizarre and sometimes disturbing comments).
Mather indicated in his interview that the off-field perspective Jarred Kelenic rejected a long-term contract offer, and he narrowly stopped clearly stating the way in which they planned to delay their MLB debut to gain an extra year of team control. Mather said that Kelenic would not be on the Opening Day list, regardless of the spring performance, but that he would be on the Majors in late April. It is true that most teams do this, but public admission of this nature is the fuel for an MLBPA complaint and only kindles the flames in future collective bargaining.
Unsurprisingly, Mather’s comments did not please Kelenic’s camp. Agent Brodie Scoffield and Kelenic himself spoke to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale yesterday, and both parties indicated that Kelenic would have been at the Majors last year if he was willing to sign the extension offer presented by the Mariners before the 2020 season.
Scoffield told Nightengale that it was “made clear to Jarred” that the decision to keep him at the Mariners’ alternative training site for the 2020 season was motivated by length of service. “There is no doubt that if he signed that contract, he would be in the big leagues,” said Scoffield. Kelenic himself agreed, saying it was the “honest truth of God” that the fact was communicated to him several times. “It got old,” said Kelenic.
Although Dipoto clearly wanted to distance himself from Mather’s comments as much as possible, he rejected the notion that the Mariners set out to deliberately circumvent the seniority mechanism.
“I’m not sure how you interpret the manipulation of service time with a 21-year-old who has played 20 games above the A ball and has yet to reach 800 appearances on the plate as a professional player,” said the GM. This is a somewhat dubious statement, however. Firstly, the use of disputed games is a clearly flawed benchmark after a year in which no minor league games took place. Second, Mather’s direct acknowledgment that Kelenic would not open the year with the Mariners, but would be on his feet at the end of April, only reinforces the seniority element of the situation.
Despite all the negative attention surrounding the situation and his palpable frustration, Kelenic emphasized to Nightengale that he is fully committed to the organization of the Mariners. Citing the love of fans, the city of Seattle and their teammates, Kelenic said, “If anything, I am more motivated to bring a World Series championship to Seattle.”
It should also be noted that the door to a potential extension with the Mariners is not closed due to this public displeasure. Scoffield tells MLBTR that he and Kelenic would still hear new proposals from the Mariners if they wanted to make another offer. It is unclear whether a compromise can be reached at this point, but at least Mariners fans should be excited because the relationship in no way seems fragmented.
The details of the Mariners’ original proposal are not known, but not all contracts for pre-MLB players are created equal. Kelenic’s teammate, Evan White, signed a $ 24 million contract for six years before making its debut – a pact very similar to the one signed by Scott Kingery. White Sox left field player Eloy Jimenez and central defender Luis robert, on the other hand, signed six-year deals worth $ 43 million and $ 50 million, respectively, before making their own debuts.
The question for Mariners now is whether they are going to try a new deal, stay the course by keeping Kelenic on Triple-A to open the season or to control and load it on the Opening Day roster, even without a long-term business contract. in force. Calling him to the Majors soon after his length of service has been shortened enough would, after all this attention, be one of the most blatant examples of service manipulation in recent memory. Kelenic has already spoken to Nightengale about how the comments from the now ex-CEO “widened the gap” between the front office and the locker room, adding that Dipoto’s attempt to calm things down with the players was “strange” and not particularly well received.
It is an ugly general situation. However, while Gonzales acknowledged to Brock that Mather’s words were “painful and personal” for much of the club’s headquarters, including himself, it could, in a way, have a unifying effect on the club’s headquarters. “Sometimes common goals can bring you together,” said Gonzales. “… Sometimes, a common enemy can do the same, if not even greater.”