Raul Ibanez first made a name for himself with the Seattle Mariners. He has since bounced around the league, but he has generally helped every team he's played for. Now, the Mariners will have Ibanez on their team for the third time.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Raul Ibanez and the Mariners have agreed to a one-year deal.
Source: Ibanez in agreement with #Mariners.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 23, 2012
Ibanez was drafted by the Mariners in the 36th round of the 1992 draft. He was never expected to make it to the Majors, but he defied the odds. Ibanez spent five seasons with the Mariners before moving on to the Kansas City Royals. He returned to the Mariners for five more seasons, then he went to Philadelphia and most recently New York. In his career, Ibanez is a .278/.340/.470 hitter.
Ibanez has not been on the disabled list since 2009, so despite his age, the Mariners are getting a durable player. In fact, New York actually used Ibanez to plug holes caused by injuries. He was signed by the Yankees to be their designated hitter, but he was forced out into the field when Brett Gardner was injured. The Mariners will plan for Ibanez to be their DH, but like the Yankees, they know he can play the field too.
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Adding Ibanez and Kendry Morales within a week could mean this team finishes ahead of the Astros!!! Seriously, an Ibanez/Jason Bay platoon in LF or DH will allow both players to show exactly what they have left...looks like some good Christmas shopping to me.
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