Suzuki signs $90M deal

By: Associated Press | Friday, July 13, 2007 11:40 PM PDT ∞

Ichiro Suzuki signed a $90 million, five-year contract extension with the Seattle Mariners on Friday, three days after he was the unanimous MVP of the All-Star game.

The deal ensures Seattle, enjoying its best season in four years, will not lose its franchise cornerstone to free agency this fall. Instead, the Mariners will keep the seven-time All-Star and perennial Gold Glove outfielder under contract until age 39.

"Now, I have the opportunity to be on one team for a long time. And I am grateful for that," Suzuki said at a press conference announcing the richest contract in Mariners history.

"I'm going to do my best to play 10 more years here."

Suzuki, the first player in major league history with 200 hits in each of his first six seasons, led the majors with 128 hits going into Friday night's game against Detroit. He was batting .355 with five home runs and 39 RBIs, and had stolen 23 bases.

The contract contains a $5 million signing bonus and base salaries of $17 million for each season from 2008-2012, with part of the money deferred. Because of the deferred money, the average annual value is discounted to about $16.5 million.

Suzuki's agent, Tony Attanasio, refused to specify how much cash is deferred, but said it is a multimillion dollar chunk with interest of at least 2 percent. He said that the $126 million, seven-year extension signed by Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells in December was a prime consideration in negotiating Suzuki's deal.

Giambi, Mitchell meet

Jason Giambi met with George Mitchell on Friday, becoming the first active player known to talk with baseball's steroids investigator.

Mitchell and his staff finished interviewing the New York Yankees slugger, and no further meetings were scheduled, a person familiar with the session said on condition of anonymity because the parties agreed not to make any statements other than the release from Major League Baseball.

Commissioner Bud Selig announced the meeting, which took place in New York, but released no details other than who attended. Selig was not present.

Cuban interested in Cubs

Add Internet billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to the list of potential Chicago Cubs buyers.

"I submitted an app," Cuban said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Interested parties must submit an application to Major League Baseball to examine the team's finances. Cuban told the Chicago Tribune he sent in the application last week, although he wasn't sure of the date.

The Cubs are up for sale because its owner, the Tribune Co., is selling itself to Chicago real estate mogul Sam Zell for $8.2 billion. That deal was contingent on the media company selling its non-core assets, including one of the most fabled franchises in sports at the end of the season.

Et cetera

GIANTS: GM Brian Sabean received a two-year contract extension.

ROCKIES: Colorado put LHP Brian Fuentes on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 4 for a mild back strain and called up IF Omar Quintanilla from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

CUBS: Chicago recalled C Geovany Soto from Triple-A Iowa and optioned OF Felix Pie to the same minor league club.

DEVIL RAYS: OF B.J. Upton was activated from the disabled list after being sidelined for more than a month with a left quad strain.

BRAVES: RHP Wilfredo Ledezma was stuck in Venezuela because of visa problems and was placed him on the restricted list. Ledezma went home for the All-Star break. Atlanta recalled RHP Jose Ascanio from Double-A Mississippi.

INDIANS: Cleveland purchased the contract of RHP Jensen Lewis from Triple-A Buffalo. Lewis replaces RHP Edward Mujica, who was optioned to Buffalo on Wednesday.

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