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Mariners reporters dropped this bombshell on all of us this morning:
Mariners, Safeco announce that naming rights to stadium won't be extended. pic.twitter.com/fdXvnl6mQX
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) June 13, 2017
Mariners are in the process now of choosing from multiple businesses for naming rights. It would go in effect after 2018 season
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) June 13, 2017
The Mariners have been playing at Safeco Field since the 1999 season. The field was named after the Seattle-based insurance company. Now all of that is up in the air with the contract set to expire after the 2018 season.
It would sure be weird to have the Mariners playing at a park named after anything else. But now I suppose everything is on the table. I’ve read so many Twitter jokes about obvious companies like Amazon, Boeing, Expedia, etc. buying out the naming rights.
Honestly it could be just about anything. There are dozens of major companies and even more moderately-sized ones that are based in the area and could buy out the naming rights. A bidding war can only be a good thing for the Mariners, who will get a lot of money out of any sort of agreement. As payroll continues to increase, something like this will help the M’s continue to expand their wallets.
So let your imaginations run wild. And enjoy your last couple of years at The Safe.