Could Kyle Seager be the Mariners Best Option Moving Forward?

With the resurgence of Kyle Seager, He is making his case to be the Mariners starting third baseman next year. Could he play a role in building for the future?

Now I know what you’re thinking, Kyle Seager has been pretty hot lately and I am overreacting to one of his many hot streaks. I think this is a good opportunity to address Seattle’s options at third base and tell you why I could see Seager playing a part in the Mariners’ future.

Seager has been on an absolute tear over his last 37 games. He went from a batting average of .186 to .251 in just over a month. In that span, he has hit .328 (46×140) with 13 home runs and 35 RBIs.

Now the question is, could he be a part of this team moving forward? I know a lot of fans think it would be crazy to build around a 31-year-old third baseman who has struggled in the past. He hasn’t been as bad as you think.

Since 2012, Seager has had 20+ home runs and 70+ RBIs in every single season. Even in his dreadful 2018 campaign where he hit .221, Seager managed to hit 22 home runs and 78 RBIs. He has a career batting average of .257. I know he is not the piece that Jerry Dipoto is looking for to fill that role but I wouldn’t mind a couple more years of Seager.

Not to mention his excellent defense at the hot corner. Seager has won a Gold Glove Award, led the American League in assists (2015-2017),  fielding percentage (2014), and double plays turned (2016-2018) as a third baseman.

Let’s look at some other options in the Mariners organization to play third base. Ryon Healy has experience at third but he has been dealing with hip and back injuries this season. Joe Rizzo has had a good season with High-A Modesto, hitting .295 with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs. I don’t think the 21-year-old will be ready within the next couple years to make that jump.

With all this said, if Diptoto doesn’t sign or trade for a third baseman, Seager will be the best option at third for the Mariners. He isn’t the flashiest player but I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the one to patrol the hot corner for the next couple years.