Seattle Mariners Extend Player Development Contract with Everett AquaSox

Seattle baseball fans will be happy to know that its minor league team is staying affiliated with the Mariners for another two years.

The Everett AquaSox, the Mariners' Class-A affiliate, jointly announced with Seattle that their player-development contract has been extended to the 2014 season. The two cities are only 30 miles apart, making the relationship between the AquaSox and the Mariners a perfect fit.

"It is wonderful for the Seattle Mariners organization to have a Northwest affiliate so close to Seattle," Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said during the press conference.

Everett is placed in the Northwest League, and after July 4, it sits atop the league's West Division with a record of 15-5 to start out the second half.

"We are pleased to extend our partnership with the Mariners," AquaSox executive vice president Tom Backemeyer said in a press release. "We could not be affiliated with a better organization, and we are excited that future Mariners will continue to get their start here in Everett."

Past players who have played for the AquaSox include Felix Hernandez, Tom Wilhelmsen and Michael Saunders.

Looking toward the future, the Mariners also announced earlier this week that their first-round pick from the 2012 draft, Florida Gator catcher Mike Zunino, will start his career with the AquaSox.

The AquaSox are currently hitting .235 as a team and a third-best 81 RBI in the league. On the mound, they have a collective 3.02 ERA, have allowed 61 earned runs and have a 158-84 strikeout-to-walk ratio.