INDIANAPOLIS — Chone Figgins is moving to the Seattle Mariners — and perhaps a new position.
The former Los Angeles Angels sparkplug finalized his $36 million, four-year contract with Seattle on Tuesday, a deal that includes a vesting option for 2014 that could make it worth $45 million over five years.
Figgins, however, might not necessarily replace free-agent slugger Adrian Beltre at third base.
“He’s open to playing anywhere in the infield,” Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said. “There’s still some moving parts here. You know, at the end, if he’s our third baseman, we’ll be very happy.”
The 31-year-old Figgins was primarily a third baseman in each of his last three seasons with the Angels. But he has played 113 major league games at second base and 27 at shortstop.
The diminutive speedster hit .298 with five homers and 54 RBIs this year as Los Angeles won its third consecutive AL West title. Beltre had 25 or 26 homers in three straight seasons before dropping to eight this year during an injury-plagued campaign.
“Everybody in baseball would love to have three-run homers,” Zduriencik said. “We’d love to have power. I mean, there’s no question about it. I think we’ve had some discussions about acquiring power. Where that takes you, we’ll see.”
Figgins gets a $2 million signing bonus and salaries of $8 million next year, $9 million each in 2011 and 2012 and $8 million in 2013. The $9 million option for 2014 becomes guaranteed if he has 600 plate appearances in 2013.
He is coming off one of his best seasons. Figgins led the American League with 101 walks and posted a career-high on-base percentage of .395, earning a late spot on his first All-Star squad when he replaced an injured Evan Longoria in July.
Figgins also scored 114 runs, second in the league to Boston’s Dustin Pedroia, and stole 42 bases. He is a .291 career hitter who has averaged 48 steals during eight major league seasons, all with the Angels.
He gives Seattle a formidable duo at the top of its batting order with nine-time All-Star Ichiro Suzuki.
“Chone, you know, when we called him and congratulated him, the first thing he said, ‘I’m going to bat second, right?’” Zduriencik said. “I said, ‘Yeah, probably, but, you know, we’ll see how that works out.’ … However it plays itself out, it’s two pretty good players at the top of your lineup.”
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