It's interesting how the assumptions were off about the relationship between Cal and Jerry. It should probably be a lesson in making assumptions like that. Seems they are pretty much BBF
SEATTLE -- When news broke last week that Eugenio Suárez was returning to the Mariners in a Trade Deadline blockbuster, Cal Raleigh immediately offered more granular insights on what it meant for the organization beyond their postseason pursuit in 2025.
"This is what we talked about in Spring Training, when I was looking to sign here long term,” Raleigh said. “And these were the things we talked about -- these moments -- and it makes you feel good about those guys following through."
Raleigh was recounting a meeting in March with Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander -- a rendezvous that he felt necessary before agreeing to a six-year, $105 million extension shortly after.
That meeting wasn’t about dollars or his value; those negotiations were left to his representatives at Excel Sports Management. No, it was about ensuring that the blossoming face of the franchise was philosophically on the same page as the front office’s most instrumental decision-makers about the organization’s competitive direction.
“That was the No. 1 priority for me: Is this organization and team committed to winning?” Raleigh told MLB.com a few days after the Deadline. “Obviously, long term, but also right now -- because we have a window.”
“Those were the No. 1 conversations when this whole thing came about, when the possibility came to this could be something that actually does get done,” Raleigh said of the contract. “But I needed to talk to them first before I sign things. I'm not just going to sign if I'm not going to be happy for six years.”
“We had a few long conversations just talking about the future, the now, where we're at, where we need to add, where we think we're good and just kind of looking at the whole picture,” Raleigh said. “Obviously, like I said, now is important, but the future as well. And seeing what they had in the works, I liked what I saw.”
Dipoto said that he and Hollander kept Raleigh loosely in the loop for what they had in the works, another token towards Raleigh’s increased standing within the organization.
“In addition to being our Platinum Glove catcher and kind of burgeoning team leader and potential American League MVP, he's kind of like an assistant GM as well,” Dipoto said. “He watches the league. He observes. He knows the players. He has opinions. Cal is a great baseball guy, in addition to being great at his job on the field. He just sees things that a lot of guys don't.”
Dipoto and Hollander didn’t overthrow their roster-building strategy because of what Raleigh said at the end of 2023, or even in that Spring Training meeting. Yet there’s no doubt that his influence carries more weight than ever.
“He cares about the game in a big way, and he was pretty pumped,” Dipoto said. “There were happy texts, and when you keep star players happy, that doesn't stink either.”
https://www.mlb.com/news/cal-raleigh-he ... -decisions
