Seattle Mariners Still Need OF Help, Should Look to Goodwin

Despite the addition of Ichiro, the Mariners still need to add to their OF depth. Seattle is just one injury away from giving everyday AB’s to either Ichiro or Guillermo Heredia. The team appears to have 1 bench spot left, and should use it on Brian Goodwin.

Brian Goodwin is running out of time, and options for the Washington Nationals. The talented outfielder will be looking for a new home sooner rather than later. The Nationals OF is stacked, and Goodwin is out of options. The Nationals must try to sneak Goodwin through waivers if they want to send him down. He won’t make it.

So, the natural course of action is to find a trade. But what type of player would the Mariners be acquiring? One with good raw tools, who is still trying to find his way as a baseball player.

I’m not gonna try to tell you that Goodwin is a star. However, in 2017, Goodwin posted a .251/.313/.498 with 13 homers and 6 steals in 278 appearances.

To put that into the context of a full season, that is a 29 homer, 14 steal pace in 600 PA. A 30 home run, 15 steal upside outfielder is a higher ceiling than Ben Gamel, with a relatively similar floor.

Defensively, Goodwin grades as average in the corners, while slightly below average in center. There is still upside in his defensive game, as he poses true 60 grade speed (20-80 scale). If he can refine his routes, he could be a solid defender in all 3 spots.

Trading for Goodwin would allow the Mariners to carry 5 true outfielders. A bonus, considering that Ichiro is still behind in his prep after his hamstring pull, and that Heredia is still recovering from his shoulder surgery. Plus, are we 100% certain that Mitch Haniger will be healthy all year?

Next: An Outside the Box Idea for Dipoto

The Mariners have avoided spending money to improve the fringes of their roster. However, there are still wins to be had by adding upside to these spots. We have seen them add to their bullpen depth in recent day, so perhaps they can do the same in their outfield.