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As first reported by Greg Johns of MLB.com, the Seattle Mariners are set to sign free agent second baseman Rickie Weeks to a $2 million big league contract.
In a surprise move, #Mariners close to signing former All-Star 2B Rickie Weeks, pending physical. http://t.co/3J8Q7TMZIO
— Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) February 12, 2015
Some would view this as a risque move, but the M’s are addressing a need here with smart money for a player with upside. Weeks does have a history of being a something most second baseman are not — capable of hitting for power. The M’s lineup was somewhat home run starved in 2014, ranking 15th in the league for fence-clearing shots.
From 2010-12 for the Milwaukee Brewers, Weeks hit 70 home runs and drove in 195 runners. He’s still only 32 years old, so there should be some pop left in his bat. The contract the Mariners are giving Weeks is, in many ways, the same type of deal the Baltimore Orioles gave Nelson Cruz in 2014. It’s a chance at redemption in ways and an opportunity to play for a bigger deal in 2016 and beyond.
Robinson Cano is not going anywhere at second base, so Weeks just gives the club more lineup flexibility. If Cano ever needs a day off or has to visit the disabled list, Weeks will be there. If manager Lloyd McClendon wants to rest Cano and have him play designated hitter, Weeks is available. If the proposed platoon of Seth Smith and Justin Ruggiano falters some in right field, they can try Cruz in the outfield and use Weeks as a DH.
Though he struggled in recent years with his ratio numbers, Weeks bounced back commendably in 2014. He recorded his highest batting average (.274) for posting 250 or more at-bats for the first time since his 2006 season when he hit .279.
The one-year deal will still keep the M’s well under the luxury tax mark and would maintain the club’s position as having the 10th highest estimated payroll for 2015, just shy of $120 million.
The M’s took a flier and threw $6 million at Corey Hart last season to be their right-handed DH — this coming after he sat out all of 2013. Seattle fans know this was a highly regrettable move.
Weeks was healthy last season and received diminished at-bats due to being part of a platoon at second base with left-handed hitting Scooter Gennett. By comparison to the Hart deal, M’s GM Jack Zduriencik seems to be spending the organization’s money much more conservatively now. Not only is Weeks infield depth and a decent utility option, he is a right-handed hitter which is a huge plus for the M’s lineup.
While there’s no guarantee Weeks returns to his All-Star form in 2015, guaranteeing he contributes more than Hart did (.203-6-21 with a -0.5 WAR) should not be a stretch by any means.
Jordan Wevers is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JordanWevers, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
