Raleigh enters '24 with 'bring it on' attitude

This story was excerpted from Daniel Kramer's Mariners Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Cal Raleigh’s phone buzzed this offseason in a way it hadn’t in years past.

Yes, the Mariners catcher closely followed the club’s transactional frenzy that saw many well-known players depart before the holidays, but the alerts weren’t exclusive to Hot Stove rumors. Rather, they were coming directly from management to inform Raleigh of its subtract-then-add course that eventually brought in players who the club hopes will become key offensive contributors.

“Any kind of relationship -- whether it's team to player, boyfriend to girlfriend, whatever it is -- to have a good relationship, you have to communicate,” Raleigh said on Thursday when the Mariners opened Spring Training.

“I think with them doing that, it's a level of trust. It's a level of being able to trust them. They trust us. It's a little more comforting knowing that.”

It’s been four-and-a-half months since Raleigh publicly urged the Mariners’ front office to channel its offseason efforts towards “getting big-time players” on the night they were eliminated from postseason contention. They were comments he apologized for one day later -- but not at their essence; rather, for possibly offending his teammates.

The sting of how the year finished still simmered when Raleigh arrived at camp this week, as one of many early participants among position players.

“Everybody in here was pissed off with how the season ended last year,” Raleigh said. “It left a sour taste in our mouth.”

But he’s also turned the page and is excited about an overhauled lineup featuring newcomers Mitch Garver (designated hitter), Jorge Polanco (second base), Luis Urías (third base) and Luke Raley (outfielder), along with old friend Mitch Haniger.

That group was assembled through an effort by management to reimagine an offense that at times last year was too inconsistent, a liability that Raleigh was admittedly part of at times and one whose shortcomings he called out earlier in the year, too.

“Having those guys here and kind of having that feeling of, 'All right, it's go time,’ having guys in the lineup that complete your roster and complete your team is a really good feeling,” Raleigh said. “And it makes it really exciting to be here.”

The Mariners reaching out to Raleigh throughout the winter -- an effort spearheaded by manager Scott Servais -- wasn’t necessarily a solicitation for feedback. But it did establish good faith with a key foundational player coming into his prime.

Raleigh was worth 4.7 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs, and he led MLB catchers in home runs (30) for the second straight season. He also played in nearly every game from mid-August on, after an injury to backup catcher Tom Murphy -- which isn’t typical for the position.

Servais shared similar sentiments with Julio Rodríguez (whom he visited when the star center fielder was training in Tampa, Fla.), J.P. Crawford (over lunch in the Seattle area) and Luis Castillo (on a fishing trip in the All-Star pitcher’s homeland in the Dominican Republic), among others.

“Those guys understand where we're at, as a team, what the expectations are and they welcome it -- bring it on,” Servais said. “But we’ve got to get better.”

The additions of Garver, Polanco, Haniger, Raley and Urías don’t fall into the category of expensive free-agent signings, which was an assumption among many to what Raleigh was calling for last October. Yet, as the roster construction has slowly come together, there’s notable promise among this year’s group. FanGraphs gives the Mariners 59.0% odds to reach the six-team postseason field, the fifth-highest in the American League.

“Early on, everybody was upset or whatever when we were subtracting,” Raleigh said. “But the offseason is more than just October, November, December. I thought we made some really good moves. I'm really excited. I think we've got some really exciting players. I don't know, maybe we're not done. Maybe we are. Who knows? Fingers crossed on that. But I'm really excited about where we're at right now, and I like what I'm seeing.”

Raleigh has also resonated with the work ethic of the newcomers, a trait coveted above all within Seattle’s clubhouse.

“I will say, the Mariners do a great job of getting good people in here who work hard,” Raleigh said. “You don't see a lot of guys on here just slacking around or not taking the job seriously.”

When Raleigh voiced frustration last fall, it was with self- and team-accountability, underscoring his elevated leadership. And the Mariners’ correspondence with him throughout the winter illustrated that they view him in that light, too.