$615 million. On three players. By two teams. In one day.
It began at about 4 p.m. in Dallas on Nov. 28, when a Texas Rangers team coming off a 102-loss season agreed to terms on a seven-year, $175 million contract with Marcus Semien, a top-three finisher in MVP voting after two of the past three seasons. Twenty-three hours later, a Seattle Mariners team that hasn't reached the playoffs in two decades added reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray with a five-year, $115 million deal. And an hour after that -- with Major League Baseball's inevitable lockout looming -- the Rangers came over the top with a 10-year, $325 million commitment to Corey Seager, the best player available outside of Carlos Correa.
The AL West is wild right now, and once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached, all five of its teams will continue to be extraordinarily busy.
The Houston Astros (Justin Verlander) and the Los Angeles Angels (Noah Syndergaard) have each committed more than $20 million on front-line starters coming off Tommy John surgery, but they have more work ahead of them. The Rangers and Mariners are intent on continuing to add. And the Oakland Athletics, who do more with scant resources than any team outside of the Tampa Bay Rays, will immerse themselves in a rebuild that could see them part with both of their star corner infielders, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson.
We sifted through it all below.