Seattle Mariners: If Smith Misses Time, Seattle Has Few Options

One of the biggest bits of news coming out of Mariners Spring Training was the announcement that newly acquired center fielder Mallex Smith will miss a few weeks with a strained flexor bundle in his right elbow.

For now, Mariners manager Scott Servais doesn’t seem too worried. The team has decided to shut Smith down for the first few weeks of Spring Training. Today it was announced that Smith was cleared for outfield workouts, but not to swing or throw.

It is important not to jump to conclusions on any injury. However, the flexor bundle is located near Smith’s UCL, the elbow ligament associated with Tommy John Surgery. Obviously, this is the worst case scenario. While there is no indication surgery is needed, it is still something that needs to be considered.

Unfortunately, the Mariners don’t have much depth in center field. The only true CF on the 40-man beside Smith is Braden Bishop, the untested minor leaguer who is coming off an injury himself. The team also has Mitch Haniger and Dee Gordon who played some center in 2018. But the team doesn’t want to move Gordon again and the added injury risk for moving Haniger to CF full-time is too great a risk.

Nobody else on the Mariners 40-man roster should garner any serious consideration, so the team may need to look outside the organization IF worst comes to worst. Thankfully there are a couple of decent options still available.

The most notable being Adam Jones. The one time Mariner and longtime Oriole is still looking for work, a bit of a surprise considering how respected Jones is around the game. No, Jones is not a great player anymore. In fact, he was barely above replacement level in 2018.

The best Jones can hope for now is a 1-year deal. If Seattle does, in fact, need a stop-gap center fielder, adding Jones and his leadership qualities could be a nice idea for the young team.

Aside from Jones, guys like Austin Jackson and Carlos Gomez are still available as well. Jackson was a failure in Seattle once and isn’t the same player he was 5-years ago. Gomez hasn’t played much centerfield since 2017 but is still the best player available in free agency who can handle the position.

None of these options are particularly appealing, which could force GM Jerry Dipoto to hit the trade market. A few teams have a glut of outfielders who may be appealing to the Mariners but will cost valuable assets.

One name we have discussed a few times on the site is Joc Pederson( read here). The Dodgers are reportedly shopping the young lefty and he plays decent centerfield. Another potential option is Travis Jankowski of the Padres.

Jankowski is a very good defender in CF who doesn’t provide much with the bat. But for a short-term fix, it could make some sense.

Scott Schebler. who we also profiled this off-season, has limited experience in center field but has graded out as above-average. The Reds have had a busy off-season, and have a bit of a logjam in the outfield. Schebler isn’t great but profiles as a solid regular with 3-years of club control.

If the worst case scenario comes to fruition for Mallex, the Mariners have some options to choose from. However, the news about Mallex Smith’s injury sounds encouraging, so hopefully, these are options the Mariners don’t have to explore at this time.