The future of one of the best catchers in baseball is no longer up for debate. Today, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the Seattle Mariners signed Cal Raleigh to a six-year extension worth $105 million. According to Passan, the deal starts this year and buys out three years’ worth of free agency from the catcher. According to Spotrac, Raleigh’s deal is the sixth biggest deal in Mariners history. That puts him behind current teammates Julio Rodriguez and Luis Castillo.
Fans didn’t know where to stand with Raleigh following his call-up in 2021. He struggled his way through 47 games, slashing .180/.223/.309 with two home runs. In 2022, Raleigh spent time in Triple-A Tacoma before he was abruptly called back up to Seattle after an injury to former Mariners’ catcher Tom Murphy.
BREAKING: Catcher Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners are finalizing a six-year, $105 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. Deal starts this season and buys out three years of free agency. A huge deal to keep a franchise catcher in Seattle.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 25, 2025
Mariners Sign Cal Raleigh to Six-Year Extension
Raleigh rejoined the big league outfit for 119 games, hitting 27 home runs and slashing .211/.284/.489 while putting up 3.9 WAR. He forever cemented himself as a Seattle legend when he broke the 21-year playoff drought with a walk-off home run against the Oakland Athletics. In the two years since, Raleigh has done nothing but improve. In 2023, he took the starting role for the second year, breaking the 30-home run threshold. He put up a career high batting average, slashing .232/.306/.456, putting up 3.4 WAR.
In 2024, Raleigh had his best year yet. The 27-year-old hit 34 home runs and reached the 100 RBI mark, with 100 even. He slashed .220/.312/.436, putting up a career high in walks with 70, and WAR with 4.7, the highest total by a Mariners catcher. Raleigh already holds the franchise record for WAR and home runs at the position. He also surpassed greats like Mike Piazza when he hit the most homers by a catcher through their first four years with 93.
But it’s not just at the plate where you can count on Cal, it’s behind it too.
Raleigh became the first Mariner and third catcher to win the Rawlings Platinum Glove for his defense in 2024. He has widely been recognized as one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, no more so than by his pitching staff. All five of the Mariners’ starters, Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo, have talked at length about the work Raleigh has put in behind the scenes and the heavy lifting he does learning all of his pitchers and their strengths.
Now that Cal Raleigh is locked up, will the Mariners shift their attention to locking up their young pitchers?
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