It took several confusing hours, but it’s been reported that Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger has exercised his $17.5 million player option for 2025.

The MLB deadline for players and teams to exercise options was at 2 p.m. PT on Monday. That deadline came and went with no official word from the Mariners or reporters and insiders whether or not Haniger had exercised his option.

There was speculation from fans over why Haniger hadn’t chosen to opt-in, considering it was unlikely he would earn $17.5 million in 2025 in free agency.

As it turns out, Haniger did exercise his option. It just wasn’t reported at the deadline.

Haniger was still on the updated Seattle 40-man roster on MLB.com that included injured players activated off the 60-day injured list on Monday.

There was also a list of free agent players released by the MLB Player’s Association (that has since been deleted) that did not list Haniger among them.

If that wasn’t enough indication that Haniger had exercised his option, a report from MLB Trade Rumors writer Anthony Franco confirmed it.

Haniger is coming off a down season in 2024. He batted .208 with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs.

Haniger’s play time decreased when Dan Wilson was hired as manager on Aug. 22. He received only 43 plate appearances after Wilson was hired.

Haniger’s name is all over the Mariners record books. He set the career franchise record with walk-offs with his eighth in 2024. He’s also fifth in club history in home runs at T-Mobile Park with 58 and is 10th all time in franchise history in overall homers with 119.

Barring a trade or him being designated for assignment, Haniger will be the second highest-paid player on Seattle’s roster in 2025 behind franchise star Julio Rodriguez ($19.912 million).

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