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Mariners should lock up Cal Raleigh next, but it won’t be easy

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Mariners should lock up Cal Raleigh next, but it won’t be easy


Julio Rodríguez has received a lot of attention while the Seattle Mariners have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the last month and a half.

And for good reason. The young outfielder has been red-hot, setting an MLB record last week with 17 hits over four games and earning American League Player of the Week honors.

Passan: Julio Rodríguez currently ‘as good as a baseball player can be’

There’s another homegrown Mariners slugger who has been doing big things at the plate, however. That would be the “Big Dumper.”

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Catcher Cal Raleigh has gotten into a good groove at the plate, smacking 13 home runs since the All-Star Break and eight in August. Raleigh leads all MLB catchers this season with 24 homers, and he led all backstops last year, too, with 27.

“Cal Raleigh has turned into, I don’t even know at this point who the right comparison for Cal Raleigh is,” ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan said during his Tuesday visit with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “It feels like Mickey Tettleton-ish at this point.”

Tettleton was a three-time Silver Slugger and two-time All-Star catcher in the 1980s and ’90s who, like Raleigh, was a switch-hitter with a lot of power. Tettleton hit 245 career home runs, including 30 or more in a season four different times.

Raleigh has certainly become the premier power-hitting catcher over these last two seasons, and this hot streak is a prime example of that.

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“You don’t see catchers go on (runs of) 13 home runs in 33 games,” Passan said. “That’s not what they’re supposed to do.”

Additionally, Raleigh is lauded for his work behind the plate and with the Mariners’ pitching staff, which has been pretty darn good in 2023.

“He is the leader of arguably the best starting rotation in baseball. And going out there and putting up those offensive numbers, it’s been incredible,” Passan said.

Later during the discussion, Passan was asked which young Mariners player he would try and extend early, like the club did last year with Rodríguez. Before Brock Huard could even finish the question, Passan was saying Raleigh’s name.

“Would it be Cal ahead of (pitchers) Logan (Gilbert) and George (Kirby)?” Huard asked.

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Replied Passan, ” Yes.”

Passan’s reasoning had a bit to do with the positions that Raleigh, Kirby and Gilbert all play.

“They’re pitchers, man. Pitchers scare me,” Passan said. “Almost every pitcher misses a year at some point. And also, I think there’s an order of operations here. If you have a catcher who everybody enjoys throwing to in place, is it not not going to make it more attractive for the pitchers to potentially sign those deals?”

While Passan would try his best to lock Raleigh up for the long haul, he shared that it may be easier said than done.

“I think Cal Raleigh is probably the least likely guy to sign because he’s represented by Scott Boras … and he is an agent whose clients tend not to do contracts before free agency. That’s just sort of how it goes,” Passan said. “But there have been situations – Carlos González, Jered Weaver, others – where pre-free agency deals have happened. On the other hand, I could see Gilbert and/or Kirby potentially extended this offseason. I think that is more of a realistic contract extension than Raleigh. But if I’m trying to lock guys up, I’m going for my position players and I’m going for my franchise catcher.”

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Listen to the full discussion with Passan at this link or in the player near the top of this story.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Tuesday: Rojas homers, Mariners beat White Sox 6-3 for 8th straight win
• Mariners Roster Moves: Woo off IL, Hancock’s season done
• Drayer: How the Mariners have turned into the AL’s hottest team
• Mariners’ Dipoto discusses homegrown Julio and Raleigh thriving
• What Dipoto said about Brash and Muñoz pitching the ninth for Seattle Mariners





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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

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Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect


The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

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The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

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Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.

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Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

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Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike


Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

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Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

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Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

More from Jason Rantz: Democrats blame Los Angeles fires on climate change to deflect from their own complicity

Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

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Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

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One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

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Seattle, WA

Reports: Seattle Seahawks to interview 2 candidates for OC job

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Reports: Seattle Seahawks to interview 2 candidates for OC job


A pair of candidates have surfaced in the Seattle Seahawks’ search for a new offensive coordinator.

An NFL insider’s view on Seahawks OC change and what’s next

The Seahawks are scheduled to interview Detroit Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley and Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, according to multiple reports. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero first reported the news Thursday morning.

Seattle will interview Fraley on Friday and Brown on Saturday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

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The Seahawks moved on from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on Monday after an up-and-down season for Seattle’s offense that included one of the worst rushing attacks in the league.

Fraley, 47, has been on Detroit’s coaching staff for the past seven seasons, including the past five as the team’s offensive line coach. Fraley has coached an offensive line that’s paved the way for one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks. The Lions rank third in Pro Football Focus’ run block grading and finished the regular season sixth in both rushing yards per game (146.4) and yards per carry (4.7).

During his time in Detroit, Fraley has helped develop four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow and three-time Pro Bowl right tackle Penei Sewell. As a player, Fraley started 123 games at center and guard over a 10-year NFL career with the Eagles (2001-05), Browns (2006-09) and Rams (2010). According to Breer, Fraley has done groundwork in searching for a pass game coordinator that he would pair with as an OC.

Brown, 38, began the season as Chicago’s passing game coordinator. He then was promoted to offensive coordinator when Shane Waldron, a former Seahawks assistant, was fired as OC on Nov. 12, and then to interim head coach when Matt Eberflus was fired on Nov. 29. Brown went 1-4 as the Bears’ interim head coach.

Brown was the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2023. Prior to that, he spent three seasons under head coach Sean McVay in various roles on the Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff.

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More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Salk: What will decide if Geno Smith returns with Seahawks in ’25
• Four Seattle Seahawks who took the biggest leap in 2024
• How should Seattle Seahawks approach RBs in 2025?
• With Seattle Seahawks’ 2025 opponents set, here’s what stands out
• Where Seattle Seahawks players, team finished on NFL leaderboards





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