I thought this was a pretty smart mutual move by the Mariners and Raleigh — the Mariners lock in a fan favorite for a relatively good price and Raleigh, who surely is aware of the prospects for older catchers hitting FA, gets a nice payday.
Having watched Raleigh here in Seattle it’s clear that his preparation and game management is second to none so the Mariners will be fine with below-average offense in his 30s as long as he hits for power and continues to be an asset defensively. From the Brewers side, I think you’re hoping for more offensive value from Contreras than the Mariners expect from Raleigh.
If I’m the Brewers I would absolutely come to the table if Contreras wants to talk, but I would have a similar dollar/year number in mind as the Raleigh contract and be thinking more about a 1B conversion. Mediocre 1B play is costing us $18 million this year…