The Seattle Mariners ranked first in the American League in defensive efficiency during the past season, and their trade deadline acquisition of Jack Wilson played a significant role in their fielding excellence.
According to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse, via Twitter, Seattle will reap the rewards of Wilson’s glovework for two more years.
The Mariners acquired the 31-year-old Wilson from the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 29, along with right-hander Ian Snell, in exchange for shortstop Ronny Cedeno, catcher Jeff Clement and three pitching prospects. Wilson hit just .224/.263/.299 after coming to the Emerald City, but owns a .684 career OPS that can be overlooked in light of his impeccable range and arm.
Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik was unwilling to exercise Wilson’s $8.4 million option for 2010, since he is merely a one-tool player, no matter how outstanding that tool may be. So the Mariners signed him to an extension that will pay Wilson $10 million total over the two seasons, the Seattle Times reports.
In a free-agent market that offers very little in the way of quality, cost-effective talent at the shortstop position, Zduriencik’s decision may be a shrewd one. Marco Scutaro is the cream of this year’s crop, but after a career year for the Blue Jays, the longtime utility man is unlikely to come cheap. Conversely, while Alex Gonzalez, Bobby Crosby and Miguel Tejada might be available at a discount, all of them come with significant drawbacks.
Wilson and center fielder Franklin Gutierrez — both acquired via trade in Zduriencik’s brief tenure with the team — are arguably the best defensive infielder and outfielder in Major League Baseball, respectively, although both of them were overlooked in the recently announced Gold Glove awards.
The pair figures prominently into Zduriencik’s plan to make the Mariners a contending team without inflating their payroll and re-signing Wilson at a reasonable cost is the first step in that process.
