Three quarters of the way through a disappointing four-year contract, Chone Figgins wants out of Seattle. The 34-year-old utility player told John Hickey of SportsPressNW.com that he’d prefer not to play for the Mariners any longer (Twitter link).
"I can't take two more years of this," Figgins said.
Figgins' four-year, $36MM contract includes an $8MM salary in 2013 and a $9MM vesting option for 2014. He appeared in 66 games this year, posting a .181/.262/.271 batting line in 194 plate appearances. Figgins played third base and all three outfield positions, but appeared in Just four games from September on.
Michael Barr
Pretty easy Chone. Opt out. Boom, you’re a free agent.
Joe 71
He wants out of seattle, not the $8 million guaranteed money
Shane McMahon
That’ll never happen….this clown won’t get anywhere near the amount in free agency that his contract will pay.
CowboyJames
He knows that. What he’s saying is “I dont care about the money, I would like a fresh start to see if I can turn it around or if I really do suck”
davbee
Figgins can’t “opt out”–the option automatically vests if he hits certain performance numbers.
karkat
I feel like the Mariners would pretty readily let him void the rest of his contract and become a free agent, don’t you think?
baseball lifer
True. But I do not think the players assoc. would allow Figgins/SEA to void the remainder of the contract in this situation.
karkat
Not that I actually think Figgins would pass on that money, but if it was mutual, could the MLBPA really do anything?
baseball lifer
Good question. And I dont know. I just dont think the PA would want to open that door.
karkat
I’m sure they wouldn’t want to. Since when was the MLBPA actually about doing what was best for the players?
baseball lifer
I just dont think the PA would allow a player to walk away from 8 million dollars when there main focus is $$$. It just seems to me that the PA would perfer a trade instead of voiding a contract. But finding a trade partner would nearly be impossible given Chone’s performance and salary.
melonis_rex
If Figgins wants to the MLBPA doesn’t have the power to stop it.
baseball lifer
Is this a fact or just specualtion? Afterall, MLBPA is one of the most powerfull unions in existance.
melonis_rex
Gil Meche and Tsuyoshi Nishioka walked away from guaranteed money.
Also Chipper Jones has a vesting option, but said he was going to void it and retire after this season before it was known that he wasn’t going to meet his vesting option requirements (games played in 2012).
The MLBPA has no real reason to stop players from self-voiding their contracts if they want to retire. It does nothing for the MLBPA or its members.
baseball lifer
So according to your answer it is just specualtion.
Those three players are all completely different situations… Meche retired. Chipper is retiring. And Nishioka went back to Japan. None of which voided there contract and signed with another MLB team. And that is what Figgins would be doing ( by trying to get his contract voided). Chone has also said nothing about retiring. He just wants his 8 million, possible vesting option, and out of SEA.
The MLBPA is in place to prevent things like this (voiding valid contracts) from happening, among other things. Figgins leaving 8 million dollar (possibly more if his option vest) on the table will take money out of the pockets of the association and its memebers. And frankly, unions dont work like that.
User 4245925809
Wayne Garland walked away from 5 years and 1.1m when that amount actually WAS worth something (30 years ago) The union can’t do squat to stop a ball player who puts honor above basic greed.
Marvin Miller was head of the MLBPA union when Garland retired early from injury and left that 5/1.1m on the table.. Miller would make Weiner look like what he actually is when it calls to toughness.
harmony55
That’s what management wants you to believe.
In what industry does the best performer (Mike Trout) earn the minimum wage with no opportunity to seek a higher wage with another employer?
Da Buddha
Why is that??? It’s a no win situation if he stays for Seattle, FIggins isn’t going to play….. sooooo, if he really wants to play that bad, he’s going to have to opt out of his contract. Seattle isn’t the one doing anything wrong here…. Figgins has been pathetic… and that’s being mean to the word “pathetic”!
davbee
Where does it say Figgins is open to voiding his contract and giving up any money already on the table? He wants to leave Seattle–lots of players ask to be traded. Not one of them askes to void their contract and give up $9-$17 million.
karkat
Of course he won’t actually. We were speaking in hypotheticals. But I mean if he just CAN’T STAND it, that is a surefire way out :p
corey23
So is staying alive the minimum ‘performance’?
disqus_qQLhst7cBF
He has to get 600 at bats in 2013 to vest
Spit Ball
I’m sure it won’t come to that.
rockiesmagicnumber
I doubt the Mariners are thrilled about 2 more years of it, either.
Fenway Faithful
LOL. The gaps are so big in Seattle… How come Chone can’t drop one in there ever? His style of hitting was perfect for the ballpark! Deep walls to leg out doubles and triples. Huge gaps… If Figgins can’t succeed in Seattle, he can’t succeed anywhere.
Release candidate anyone?
Raylan Givens' Stetson
I wonder what makes him think that his option is going to vest.
Daniel Stern
That is funny; he’s just a little out-of-touch with the reality of his situation.
Justin Carrington
Thats good. We cant take much more of it either.
Linutor
” I can’t take 2 more years of this. “
I’m sure that Seattle feels the same way.
Shane McMahon
Then give back the money your final year calls for and hit the open market to see if you can come close to “sniffing” that amount as a free agent. Wants his cake and eat it too.
karkat
“I can’t take two more years of this” –Jack Zduriencik
MLB_in_the_Know
Figgins, if you had class, you would pull a Tsuyoshi Nishioka.
Tko11
And we all know thats not happening.
karkat
Figgins : class :: his first name : Sean
FS54 2
no wonder I flunked SAT.
karkat
Well, they got rid of analogies (the year I took it, aha! They were still on the GRE though >.>), so future generations might not even get that joke 🙁
Trout Almonte
BRef lists his full name as Desmond DeChone Figgins.
Talk about strange names.
disqus_qQLhst7cBF
His name is Chone
NomarGarciaparra
Please tell that to John Lackey as well.
Da Buddha
ABSOLUTELY! But, he is obviously without class. I mean, earlier this year the guy filled in for a player who got injured during a game and had two hits… then he went on saying to a reporter, “I can hit, that I can do!”……….. He then went hitless for his next 15 at bats. Talk about a serious chump!
Arik Goldsmit
Something good is happening to the M’s? I think hell is freezing over.
They wanted him gone after year one!
bobbylu
“I can’t take two more years of this” –The Fans
LazerTown
It’s not like he will be a starter to begin with if he gets traded.
Raylan Givens' Stetson
Retire.
Raylan Givens' Stetson
Then you can move to wherever you want.
Tko11
.181/.262/.271 Highly doubt that he will be a starter anywhere. If he really wants out so bad then let him void his contract but he obviously wont do that because he wants his $8 million.
HalosFan8
Angels will take him back for Vernon Wells if the vesting option is voided haha
tigerfan1968
As a professional Figgins should continue to prepare and play as hard as he can in 2013. In 2014 someone may pick him up as a utility player for the major league minimum.
Rabbitov
Figgins retirement. Calling it.
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
Nah, the Dodgers will gladly pick up his contract. :p
Cult of Dickie Thon
Yeah he’s going to retire and give up a year’s worth of pay.
Adam Romatowski
Mets will take figgins for Jason Bay, and I’m pretty sure Bay lives near Seattle.
Nazara
That may be the one trade proposal the Mets get to laugh at involving Jason Bay.
macdice
I would do the deal if the Mets agree to pay any difference in salary that Bay is scheduled to earn.
joe dittmore
yes bay lifes in spokane wa only 5hrs away to seattle wa
joe dittmore
bay for figgy why not
fbxMsfan
oddly enough that idea was discussed early in the season on the Mets board…apparently the GM,s weren’t listening…
sourbob
It would really help Figgins in his quest for a new home if he were still good at baseball.
johnnynewguy
Seriously, what happened to him?
Robert Berner
I never liked this guy, and now I know why.
Rabbitov
You must have a high tolerance for people if it took this long.
Nick Revelli
haha GOOD! YOU can’t take 2 more years? Now you know how all of us feel. You’re the one who couldn’t hit above .190. Glad everyone can move on.
NomarGarciaparra
How did he go from a pretty decent player (good OBP) to one of the worst in the league??? Two consecutive years under the Mendoza line!
hawkny11
Remember Adrian Beltre when he was a Mariner?
withpower
I don’t want to bag on Figgins because the guy was a good baseball player [and I’ve got to think that maybe he could improve on the .180 AVG], but this contract not working out was not impossible to forecast.
You look at his first season in Seattle, that line outside of the SLG, was not that different from a few other seasons Figgins had. He was always a pretty patient hitter, but his walk year in Anaheim he had over 100 walks — a big spike from his other seasons. His triples totals came back down to earth after his first few seasons in the league. He posted a .716 OPS in the same season he set his career high in HR [9].
Chiburgh
I hope the love for Figgins that Kenny Williams has expressed over the years is gone.
corey23
Chone must not have heard they’re moving in the fences
Cornhammer
Unless they’re moving them to just past the edge of the infield dirt, I don’t think it matters all that much.
douglasb
can’t take 2 more years of what? Is he complaining about the stadium? He hit .173 on the road in 2011.
douglasb
would you trade him straight up for Joe Mauer? ($23 million a year for the next 6 years)
westcoastwhitesox
Good Question! I hope they don’t, but it will be interesting to see if the Twins can unload that contract on somebody.
Edgar4evar
Mauer earned his money this season based on WAR and the value of wins according to Fangraphs. Going forward he’s likely to decline and not provide the full value he’s owed, but this is a deal I’d take a hard look at from the M’s side. With Figgins you know you’re just throwing away $8 million. Do the Twins have another option at catcher?
Shane Berry
Seattle wants out of Figgins,
Read_to_Achieve
Figgins for Vernon Wells, with Angels eating some salary. I’m pretty sure both sides would agree.
ADFranzFerdinand
Angels would have to eat 25 million of the contract just to make it an even swap of bad contracts.
1980CHAMPS
The good news for the Mariners is there is no way that 2014 vesting deal happens. Just suck it in for one season I guess. Not many teams clamoring for a 3rd baseman with a .500 ops.
ultimate913
Meh. No one cares. Now lets hear Felix say that. That would be fun.
AdrianYo
He wouldn’t be a terrible replacement for the departing Maicer Izturis as a utilityman. Also, I can think of another bad contract the Angels could trade…
baseballbill77
Please, Chone. Do the fans a favor and go. I’m sure the Mariners can’t take two more years of this either.
joe dittmore
i say jack z trade figgy to a nl team
Dan Nyd.
Trade him to ny for Bay maybe if Bay is not under presure out here he will perform. Figgins needs to go
Cornhammer
No thanks. We’d rather have Bay than Figgins.
ADFranzFerdinand
Maybe Figgins needs a bigger market. He had a pretty massive one in Anaheim…
Ian Nichols
“I can’t take two more years of this,” Every M’s fan in existence said.
safari_punch
He’s going into it with the wrong attitude. The fences are moving in and Figgins should train like a mad man in the offseason with his goal of being Come Back Player of the Year. Go to instructional league and fix the flaws in his game and show everyone that he really cares instead of being an albatross.
Just don’t train with Melky Cabrera or Milton Bradley or someone like that.
Da Buddha
Come Back Player of the Year??????? He couldn’t achieve such a feet if he had used all of his money we’ve over paid him to bribe those who make such determinations. Don’t let Figgins fool you into thinking he actually has a future elsewhere. He’s a waste of space and time.
Korflock
I’m really disappointed as a Mariner’s fan to hear people boo him.. We’re usually known for having the most respecting fans.
I mean Figgins should have left last offseason. We paid for a .270 average (AT LEAST) and we had gotten a very bad return.
I hope we can trade him, he’s not going to fit with us in the future.
Da Buddha
You’re disappointed to hear us boo him??? According to the report, Figgins is not happy in Seattle… like we’ve done something to him. This waste of space has been a drain on this club for the last three years. We have respectful fans… but we also have fans who want to win. Watching Chone waste all of our time has reached its climax… and now he “Can’t take two more years of this”??? Give me a break. He’s a nut bag… and there is nothing rude about calling him out for it! He’s been more then happy cashing his 9 million dollar checks while watching baseball on the bench.
Michael Kenny
Something tells me Kenny Williams is about to come a-knockin’. Uh oh.
Daniel Miller
How about we just tear up this contract and you can go play anywhere you want?
BayArea_2_NW
If and when Seattle can’t trade you, give the rest of your contract back to the M’s. Then you’re free to go.
4thINFSgt
How was that SF Giants offer feel right now?
ADFranzFerdinand
Good. You’ve been a bigger disappointment than Russ Davis and Hector Noesi… Combined…
fbxMsfan
Figgins…PLEASE, go ahead and opt out of your contract…do it today…
Smidd4
They are going to go Milton Bradley on him and pay him to leave.
Fenway Faithful
Seattle is where hitters seem to go to die… Short of Ichiro, the last players I remember having AMAZING years in Seattle were Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez, and they have had some pretty good hitters come through their system. I heard rumor they are going to bring the fences in next year. Perhaps that will help, but wow… The ball just does not carry in that ballpark…
deewitt92
Does a Jason Bay for Chone figgins swap seem reasonable?
inkstainedscribe
Figgins for Uggla. Discuss.