Down to the last hour before the deadline to either sign star outfielder Dustin Ackley or lose their rights to him, the Seattle Mariners stoked their offer.
Ackley, the second overall pick in the June draft, agreed Monday night to a five-year major league contract that immediately puts him on the 40-man big-league roster.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said Ackley’s desire to play was the overriding factor in completing the deal, although the 40-man roster spot was a kicker.
“We thought enough of the player that if it came to a major league contract to get it done, we would do that,” Zduriencik said. “It speaks volumes for what we think of this player and what we think this player will become. We met a lot of their demands. But I think that the family, the agent and the Seattle Mariners were happy how it all came together.”
Ackley is represented by Scott Boras, who also had the first three players drafted and six in the first round. Zduriencik said negotiations between the Washington Nationals and pitcher Stephen Stasburg, the first overall pick also represented by Boras, had no bearing in their talks on Ackley.
Zduriencik said the deal was finalized with about 15 minutes remaining before baseball’s 9 p.m. (PDT) deadline for teams to either sign or lose their rights to draft picks who aren’t college seniors.
In addition to Ackley, the Mariners also signed their fifth-round pick, Oklahoma State University right-handed pitcher Tyler Blandford. The Mariners have signed each of their first 15 picks in the draft and 35 of their 52.
The Mariners don’t announce financial terms, although Baseball America reported that Ackley will get a $6 million signing bonus, $1.5 million in guaranteed salary and $2.5 million in additional salary depending on when he reaches the major leagues.
Zduriencik wouldn’t say when fans can expect Ackley and his enticing left-handed bat to play at Safeco Field, but he didn’t hide his opinion that the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder will be an important hitter for the Mariners.
“We think he is a player who’s going to bat in the middle of our lineup in years to come,” Zduriencik said. “He has put up terrific numbers at the college level. He can run, he’s athletic, he’s a left-handed hitter who’s going to play nice in this ballpark.”
First, the Mariners must assess where Ackley is physically after having not played since leading the North Carolina Tar Heels to the College World Series in June.
“We’ll talk about that,” Zduriencik said. “We’ll get him in Arizona by beginning of instructional league (which begins in mid-September) and let him participate in the Arizona Fall League. Our first concern is to make sure we have everything we have taken care of baseball-wise. He’s on the 40-man roster right now. He’ll play in the fall league and come to major league spring training and let the pieces fall where they may.”
Ackley is a three-time All-American who was regarded the top hitter available in the draft. He set North Carolina records with a .410 career batting average, 338 hits and 225 runs, and helped lead the Tar Heels to the College World Series each of his three years in the program.
He played first base this year after having Tommy John elbow surgery last August, although the Mariners believe he is fine physically and view him as a center fielder.
Ackley has been working out, and Zduriencik said the time away from the field may have been a greater benefit to him.
“This kid played until the end of June in the College World Series,” Zduriencik said. “Him coming off the injury, it probably wasn’t a bad thing for him to take the summer to himself.”
The Mariners had one spot open on their 40-man roster, so they won’t need to make another move to clear room for Ackley.
Blandford, a junior at Oklahoma State, is a 6-2, 215-pound right-hander who went 13-10 with a 5.40 ERA in three seasons with the Cowboyos. He was 7-4, 5.31 this year and ranked 12th in the nation with 11.17 strikeouts per nine innings. He has pitched this summer with the Santa Barbara Foresters, going 1-0, 2.03 with one save in six games, three of them starts.
Read Kirby Arnold’s blog on the Mariners at www.heraldnet.com\marinersblog
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