By Ryan Divish
The Seattle Times
All Mitch Haniger has to do now is continue focusing on his health and being ready to go when position players report to spring training in mid-February.
Monday, the team announced it had agreed to terms with the All-Star outfielder on a contract for the 2021 season.
While the team doesn’t release contract details when it comes to salary, multiple major-league sources confirmed an earlier report that Haniger, who is in his second year of salary arbitration, will receive a $3.01 million salary for the season. It’s the same amount he and the Mariners agreed for the 2020 season in which he did not play.
Following surgeries to repair a torn adductor muscle in December and microdiscectomy in February, Haniger missed the entire 2020 season. With a limited 60-game regular season and the nature of the two procedures, the Mariners decided to have Haniger focus on his recovery and getting healthy instead of pushing to play.
Haniger’s signing leaves the Mariners with two arbitration-eligible players on the club’s 40-man roster who haven’t finalized 2021 contracts: shortstop J.P. Crawford and catcher Tom Murphy.
Haniger, who turns 30 Dec. 23, suffered a ruptured testicle on June 6, 2019 when he fouled a pitch from Justin Verlander into his groin. He hasn’t played since that painful day, undergoing three surgeries (testicle, adductor muscle and microdiscectomy) from that initial injury.
It was a frustrating follow-up to an All-Star season in 2018 when he posted a .285/.366/.493 slash line (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage) with 38 doubles, four triples, 26 homers and 93 RBI.
Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said at the end of the season that they are hoping/expecting Haniger to be their everyday right fielder in 2021 when the team expects to compete for a postseason spot.
Waiver wire madness
As teams maneuver their 40-man rosters in preparation for expected offseason moves and the upcoming Rule 5 draft, there was a fair amount of action on the waivers wire.
The Mariners picked up right-handed pitcher Robert Dugger off waivers from the Marlins, but lost right-handed relievers Ian Hamilton (Phillies) and Walker Lockett (Blue Jays) on waivers claims.
Dugger, 24, appeared in four games for the Marlins, making one start and three relief appearances, allowing 15 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Dugger was drafted by the Mariners in the 18th round of the 2016 MLB draft out of Texas Tech.
After one season in the organization, he was traded to Miami on Dec. 7, 2017 along with Christopher Torres and Nick Neidert in exchange for Dee Strange-Gordon and international bonus pool money. He made his MLB debut in 2019. In parts of two seasons, he has posted an 0-4 record with a 7.40 ERA in 45 innings with 17 walks and 29 strikeouts.
Hamilton, 25, never pitched for the Mariners. He was claimed off waivers by Seattle on Sept. 25 after being designated for assignment by the White Sox on Sept. 18. A former Washington State standout, he pitched in four games for the White Sox in 2020, posting a 4.50 ERA (2 ER, 4.0 IP) with four strikeouts.
Lockett, 26, was claimed off waivers by Seattle on Sept. 1 after being designated for assignment by the Mets on Aug. 28. He appeared in five games with the Mariners in 2020, posting a 4.32 ERA (4 ER, 8.1 IP) with three strikeouts.
