Seattle Mariners Sign Infielder Tim Beckham

The Mariners seemed to have found their ‘stopgap’ infielder in Tim Beckham, the former #1 overall pick taken by the Rays in 2008.

With All-Star SS Jean Segura off to Philadelphia, the Mariners were able to net J.P. Crawford, a top prospect in the Phillies organization that made his MLB debut in 2017. At just 23 years old, however, the Mariners wanted to refrain from rushing his progression in the majors, potentially damaging his production potential.

The situation required Seattle to add a veteran shortstop to serve as a stopgap or replacement for Crawford until he is ready. The Mariners solved this problem on Thursday, signing free agent Tim Beckham to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million, plus an additional $250,000 in incentives.

With an additional year of arbitration in 2020, Beckham is under two years of control and will almost surely serve as the Mariners shortstop come opening day.

Beckham made his MLB Debut in 2013, playing in 5 games, but missed the entire 2014 season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. His slash line increased in every statistic starting in 2015 until a breakout season in 2017:

2015: .222/.274/.429; -0.1 WAR

2016: .247/.300/.434; 1.3 WAR

2017: .278/.328/.454; 3.3 WAR

Despite an increase in production over his first five years of his career, Beckham hit a wall in 2018 due to a lingering groin injury. He was placed on the 60-day disabled list in mid-May and finished the season with a .230/.287/.374 slash line.

Beckham has massive potential for a bounce-back season in 2019. Barring additional injuries, he will be an everyday starter for the Mariners and will be given the opportunity to produce offensively.

The Mariners will find additional value in Tim Beckham in his defensive versatility. Over the course of his career, he has found time at 1B, 2B, 3B, and SS. Though he will mainly cover the shortstop position, it is important to consider his ability to play other positions if needed.

To better illustrate his efficiency as a defender at multiple positions, Beckham finished the 2016 season with a defensive WAR of 0.5, playing at least six games at 1B, 2B, 3B, and SS.

Now in Seattle, Beckham aims to return to his 2017 production. If he can return to his numbers from two years ago, he will have successfully served as the ‘stopgap’ the Mariners need.