Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Bill Bavasi announced today that the Mariners have signed All-Star centerfielder Ichiro Suzuki to a five-year contract extension. The contract is believe to be worth $90-$100 million.

"While we did not publicly discuss negotiations, the one thing we have made clear since spring training was that it was our goal to have Ichiro play his entire career in Seattle, retire as a Mariner and go into the Hall of Fame in our cap," Bavasi said. "While I don't believe this is Ichiro's final contract, I do think today's signing is a big step in assuring he will spend his entire career here in Seattle."

"He is both an offensive force, and a Gold Glove outfielder. It is great news for our organization and our fans that he will be here in Seattle for another five years."
 
Ichiro, 33, is hitting .355 (128x361) this season with 13 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs and 39 RBI. Ichiro is among the league leaders in batting (2nd), multi-hit games (1st/43), hits (1st/128), stolen bases (3rd/23), on-base percentage (3rd/.406) and runs (9th/61). He was the unanimous MVP of the 2007 All-Star Game after going 3-for-3 and collecting the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history.
 
Ichiro has already recorded a club-record 25-game hitting streak this season, and set an American League record with 45 consecutive steals. He is hitting .400 with runners in scoring position, including a .600 mark (6-for-10) with the bases loaded. He is hitting .391 in Safeco Field this season, and is now a career .331 hitter at home. 
 
"It's a great feeling to know I get to write his name in the leadoff spot every day," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "He's the guy that makes our team go. His preparation, dedication and desire to win are a joy for me to watch."
 
Ichiro, now in his seventh Major League season, has a career average of .333, with 168 doubles, 54 triples, 66 home runs and 398 RBI since joining the Mariners after spending nine seasons with Orix of the Japanese League. He has stolen 258 bases in his big league career, while being caught only 60 times. Ichiro is already among the Seattle franchise leaders in average (1st), hits (3rd), runs (4th), triples (1st) and steals (2nd). He has missed just 15 games in the past seven years, playing in 1,043 of the 1,058 team games the Mariners have had since the start of the 2001 season.

Thanks to the Mariners for the update!

The San Francisco Giants have signed Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean to a two-year contract with a club option for the 2010 campaign, club President and Managing Partner Peter Magowan announced this morning.

Honored as Major League Baseball’s Executive of the Year by both The Sporting News and Baseball America in 2003, Sabean owns the ninth-highest winning percentage (.544, 927-777) among all general managers since 1950.  Currently in his 11th year at the helm of the Giants, he has guided the club to four post season berths – the club’s most in an 11-season span since 1915-25.

“When you look at Brian’s body of work over his 11 seasons with the Giants, it’s evident that he is a shrewd baseball man who will find a way to get this team back to where we all want it to be,” said Magowan.  “While we are certainly disappointed with the way that things have gone this season, I’m fully confident that Brian and Bruce (Bochy) will get us back on the right track.  I look back on the job Brian did his first year as General Manager in 1997, when we clinched our first NL West title in eight years and compiled 22 more victories than the previous season.  After the 2002 National League Championship season, he had to almost completely retool the club – and the team still went on to win 100 games and the NL West in 2003.  I believe that he’s the person to get the job done.”

“Obviously, I am thankful and looking forward to having the opportunity to move this team in the right direction and I want to thank Peter, Larry (Baer) and the Giants organization for their continued support over the years,” said Sabean.  “Clearly, the past two and a half seasons have been a disappointment to all of us in the front office and to our fans.  Moving forward, our goal is to win at the Major League level while also developing a younger roster.”

Of the 28 players on the Giants’ active roster and Disabled List, 13 are homegrown products who were either drafted or signed as amateurs by San Francisco.  The pitching staff alone has nine players produced solely by the club, including highly regarded starters Matt Cain, Noah Lowry and Tim Lincecum, as well as relievers Brad Hennessey, Kevin Correia, Jonathan Sanchez and Jack Taschner.

Courtesy of the Giants Media Relations Department