Chone Figgins Signs With The Seattle Mariners
Stealing Chone
I’m confident that Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim owner Arte Moreno will replace any missing pieces of his AL West championship team and the first piece to be stolen from his club is All-Star third baseman Chone Figgins.
The Seattle Mariners have reached an agreement with Figgins on a four-year $36 million contract but there are indications the deal would also include a option for 2014 that could boost the total value to the neighborhood of $45 million.
The Mariners has been aggressively pursuing Figgins to replace 2005 $64 million bust Adrian Beltre at third base. The Mariners did offer Beltre arbitration but pretty much as an insurance move.
A fascinating question is how the Mariners would fit Figgins and Ichiro Suzuki in their lineup. Figgins has batted lead off for the Los Angeles Angels in all but two games over the last two seasons, and was second only to Derek Jeter in on-base percentage (.395) among AL leadoff hitters. But Ichiro has been a fixture in the lead off hole in Seattle for the last nine years.
The soon to be 32-year-old Figgins is coming off one of his best seasons, leading the American League with 101 walks and batting .298 with five homers and 54 RBIs. He is a career .291 hitter who has averaged 48 stolen bases during his eight seasons in the major leagues.
A great pick up since Figgins is quality and it allows the Mariners to wash their hands of Beltre. However is John Lackey the next Angel to be stolen from Moreno’s empire and if so how many others?
