Did contract extension unlock Cal Raleigh for his incredible year?

Jul 16, 2025, 12:30 PM

Editor, Seattle Sports

It’s been the season of Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh so far.

He leads the big leagues in home runs at the All-Star break, won the Home Run Derby on Monday, and has become a household name among baseball fans despite regularly being looked over on the national level before 2025.

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Raleigh’s breakout season gained the attention of ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, who published an article profiling “Big Dumper” earlier this week. Passan’s reporting for the story allowed him a chance to get a look into who Raleigh is as a person, and in the article Passan touched on a significant moment from Raleigh’s 2025 that may be a bit forgotten not even four months later: Raleigh’s decision to sign a six-year, $105 million contract extension that looks like a bargain right now.

It’s not often that players get significantly better after signing a big contract. At least not in the way Raleigh, who at 38 already has four more homers than his previous career-high total for a season, has this year.

Wednesday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, Passan shared his view of what agreeing to that extension did for Raleigh.

“I think when he signed that contract, it unlocked something in him. I think it freed him up,” Passan said. “And it’s weird to say you get $100 million-plus and it makes you better, because we’ve seen so many cases where people get the money and they rest on their laurels. I think it was different with him.

“I think he didn’t have to spend any time thinking about the future because the future was made already.”

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Something interesting that came out of Passan’s reporting on Raleigh was how the switch-hitting catcher approached his contract decision during spring training much like how he prepares for games. Perhaps the answers he received gave him a peace of mind that’s allowed him to launch an attack on the record books.

“It was made through the diligence that he did when he sat down with (Mariners president of baseball operations) Jerry Dipoto and (general manager) Justin Hollander for 2 1/2 hours this spring – in full uniform – asking them questions, absolutely peppering them about the future of the Mariners franchise,” Passan continued, “to ensure that he was comfortable with where they were going and that they were putting together a championship-caliber ballclub.

“And I think all of that combined, the confluence of it has just freed him up to be the best version of himself.”

ESPN’s Jeff Passan joins Brock and Salk for a weekly conversation, typically at 8:30 a.m. each Tuesday during the baseball season. Catch Brock and Salk from 6-10 a.m. live weekdays on Seattle Sports.