MLB Rumors: Seattle Mariners Set To Sign All-Star Outfielder To Long-Term Deal

The Seattle Mariners would be foolish to let All-Star outfielder Julio Rodriguez go and it appears the MLB team will take the necessary steps to keep the 21-year-old baseball player in the fold.

Multiple reports claim that the Mariners plan to hand the All-Star player a contract extension, something that would lock up the rookie for at least the next decade, NBC Sports reported.

As of this writing, the Mariners have made no formal announcement on the said deal. However, team manager Scott Servais did have good words to say about Rodriguez.

“He’s learned a lot over the last 4 1/2, five months about Major League Baseball and things he needed to work on and continue to improve upon,” Servais said. “Really good teammate. I mean, you can go on and on describing where he’s at. But there’s a lot of baseball, really good baseball ahead of him and I know that’s what excites me and the organization.”

Rodriguez has come a long way since joining the MLB this season. After unraveling an impressive performance during spring training, the 21-year-old has come into his own, resulting in him becoming an All-Star right in his very first season.

So far, the Dominican is hitting .269 with 20 home runs, 64 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and an OPS of .799. Rodriguez became the fastest player in American League history to reach the mark of 20 homers and 20 stolen bases, surpassing Mike Trout.

He is also the leading candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year, a reason why the Mariners are in playoff contention.

“Julio has got a lot ahead of him, but they’re similar. Personalities are much different but on the field they’re very similar talents They’re five-tool players. They can run, throw. They have power. I’m just looking forward to having him as part of the organization for a long, long time,” Servais said.