Kyle Seager officially inks contract

(TNS) - The Mariners made it official Tuesday afternoon, announcing that third baseman Kyle Seager had signed a seven-year contract with an option for an eighth year.

The sides reached an agreement early last week. But Seager stayed with his family in North Carolina to celebrate Thanksgiving before coming to Seattle to finalize the deal.

The team does not give out monetary details of contracts. But a source confirmed that the total contract is worth $100 million dollars with the potential to reach $120 million based on the option year. Seager's yearly salary breaks down like this:

2015: $4 million (plus $3.5 million bonus), 2016: $7.5 million, 2017: $10.5 million, 2018: $18.5 million, 2019: $19 million, 2020: $19 million, 2021: $18 million, 2022: Club option with a range of $15 million to $20 million based on performance factors.

Seager was in Seattle the past few days to take an extensive physical before signing the contract. The Mariners will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Safeco Field.

"This is a great day for the Seattle Mariners, our fans and the Seager family. As one of our homegrown players it is nice to know that he will remain with us for at least seven more seasons," GM Jack Zduriencik said in a statement. "Kyle has taken a step forward each season since joining the organization in 2009, and has turned into one of the premier third baseman in the game."

Seager, 27, is coming off his best season. He hit .268 with 27 doubles, 4 triples, 25 home runs and 96 RBI in 159 games. The homers and RBI were team highs to go with a team-high 56 extra-base hits. His performance earned him a spot on the American League All-Star team and the AL Gold Glove award.

Seager, drafted in the third round of the 2009 draft, wasn't thought of as a "can't-miss" prospect. Many scouts projected his ceiling as a decent-hitting utility infielder. But he blew past such expectations, putting up prodigious hitting numbers in the minor leagues. He made his big league debut in 2011. When Chone Figgins fizzled as the Mariners' third baseman, Seager stepped in and made the position his own.

He became the everyday third baseman in 2012. And the past three seasons, he has hit .262 with 94 doubles, 67 home runs, 251 RBI and 168 extra-base hits in 474 games. The extra base hit and RBI totals are second most for any third baseman in baseball over that span. The homer totals are fourth highest.

Seager has been beyond durable, playing in 520 of the past 540 Seattle games, dating to Aug. 2, 2011. He played in 126 straight games this season.