Cal Raleigh Discusses Being a Face Of Seattle Mariners Franchise After New Deal

Aside from the jokes and the emotion, there was also a lot of discussion about responsibility. Raleigh was already viewed as a leader and face of the Mariners organization. And now he's getting paid like it.

Raleigh confirmed that he feels responsible to be a leader for Seattle, and that thought is now amplified after the organization showed faith in him with the new deal.

Contracts and money don't automatically make someone a leader or a face of the team, but it can help confirm that status from the fans' viewpoint. Raleigh's contract extends through 2030, the same year the Mariners will have a club option to trigger the final five years of Julio Rodriguez's 12-year extension he signed toward the end of 2022.

Raleigh's contract isn't as long as Rodriguez's and isn't worth as much ($209.3 million for Rodriguez). But the long-term extension ties him and Rodriguez together as two of the faces of the franchise through the decade. And both are united in their goals for the team.

"We want what's best for this organization," Raleigh said in his news conference Friday. "We want to help out as much as we can and, like I said, make us a perennial playoff team, make this a consistent winner, make this a World Series contender. Whatever we have to do to do that is kind of how we're going about it. It's going to be really nice to play with him for a long time and hopefully some other guys, as well."

The hope for Raleigh and the Mariners is the nucleus of core players signed long-term can expand. But for now, Raleigh and Rodriguez will be at the forefront of the offense for years.