Seattle Mariners: FanSided Offseason Simulation Day 4 Recap
![TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 10: Outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh #25 of Japan at bat in the fifth inning during the international friendly match between Japan and Mexico at the Tokyo Dome on November 10, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fsodomojo-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F622130594-1-850x560-f9064d5a4e63419152465a951a097ddd.jpg)
FanSided’s MLB offseason simulation is finished and our 40-man roster is finalized.
It was a real fun week for the site experts of each and every MLB site in the FanSided network. For a few days, we got to put on our general manager hats and act as the decision-makers for our favorite teams. Colby and I ran with it as the faux GMs of the Seattle Mariners, tapping into our inner Jerry Dipoto and going wild on the trade market.
We set out to do a number of things and practically checked everything off our to-do list. Several 2019 starters were traded, but several Major Leaguers were brought back. Very little damage was done to the farm system; in fact, it actually grew stronger with the additions of Kevin Kramer and Brandon Marsh. It was, in our eyes, a very successful simulation in which we stayed patient and reacted to the market.
After swinging the Omar Narváez deal to the Angels that acquired both Marsh and Andrew Heaney, we felt we were pretty much done with very few loose ends to tie off. In the final day of the simulation, we attempted to make some smaller prospect swaps but no one really bit. Instead, we polished off our 40-man roster through free agency.
![WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 25: Drew Smyly #18 of the Philadelphia Phillies walks on the field prior to pitching against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fsodomojo-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F1171202838-1-b5e661aa5741356464ebb09e1a534245.jpg)
SIGNED DREW SMYLY TO MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT
It’s felt like ages since the whole ‘soggy arm’ debacle, but Drew Smyly is still just 30-years-old with just 127.2 innings logged between the MiLB and MLB levels since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017. The Mariners have a good track record of ‘fixing’ pitchers as of late and just think how incredible it would be if things came full circle and Smyly was able to get back to where he once was.
At the very least, that was our thought process with this. And while we’ve acquired multiple Major League arms in this simulation, we wanted to bring in Smyly to further bolster the depth we’ve been able to build. Smyly may be the eighth or ninth option as of now, but that gives him more time to work on things in Triple-A until he inevitably gets a shot given injuries, etc.
This is a deal we always wanted to make and hope the real-world Mariners wind up making in the near future. Smyly didn’t garner any interest in our simulation’s market so we jumped all over him just before the free agency deadline.
![TOKYO, JAPAN – MARCH 10: Outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh #25 of Japan is awarded the Most Valuable Player award for the Frist Round Pool B after the World Baseball Classic Pool B Game Six between China and Japan at Tokyo Dome on March 10, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fsodomojo-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F651139184-4435780f868f563ade0734b9895f19f0.jpg)
SIGNED YOSHITOMO TSUTSUGO TO THREE-YEAR, $24 MILLION DEAL
We still had quite a bit of money to play with in our budget of $30 million, so we turned our attention to one of the final big names in our simulation’s free agency market: Japanese slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugo. The 28-year-old is set to come over to Major League Baseball after slashing .272/.388/.511 with 29 home runs and 79 RBIs in 131 games for the Yokohama Bay Stars last season.
Our plan is to have both Kyle Lewis and Jake Fraley start the 2020 season in Triple-A, so Tsutsugo will immediately join Lewis Brinson and Mitch Haniger in the Mariners’ outfield as the starting left fielder. But we know that Tsutsugo is more likely destined for a role at first base or designated hitter, so this will only be temporary. However, we like Tsutsugo’s fit as a first base/designated hitter type in the near future, especially if Daniel Vogelbach were to be dealt later on, and it’s even better that he’s not completely limited to those spots.
Given that there will be a posting fee tied to Tsutsugo in the real world, we don’t expect him to earn this kind of contract on the open market. But we offered big dollars to make up the difference and wound up being the only bidders in on him, so we’ll take it.
![SAN DIEGO, CA – MAY 19: Robbie Erlin #41 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park May 19, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fsodomojo-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F1145120099-a70cb334e389079d5c1a990659751d65.jpg)
SIGNED ROBBIE ERLIN TO ONE-YEAR, $1.25 MILLION DEAL
There weren’t a whole lot of options out on the market, but after trading Taylor Guilbeau to the Angels, we wanted to bring in another left-handed reliever into the bullpen competition. Enter Robbie Erlin, 29-year-old southpaw who’s probably ‘just a guy,’ but hey, he’s our guy.
Don’t let the 5.37 ERA last year fool you, though; Erlin wasn’t flat-out terrible. He averaged just under a strikeout per inning and wound up with a modest 3.61 FIP in 55.1 innings of work. He was also worth 1.6 fWAR in an underrated Padres bullpen in 2018.
He’s never been much of a LOOGY, often fairing worse or about the same against lefties as he does against righties. He’s not an overpowering force by any means, but has a solid enough arsenal that gets him by, led by a strong curve that held hitters to a .182 average last season.
![SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 26: The King’s Court holds up “K” signs as Felix Hernandez #34 of the Seattle Mariners pitches against the Oakland Athletics at T-Mobile Park on September 26, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fsodomojo-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F1171385358-0dce71042a817400b3f8522dd6629267.jpg)
WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT, AND THE REST
Overall, in our sim, Colby made a total of eight transactions over the course of four days, shipping out nine players (including five members of the 2019 roster) and bringing in 12. We came in with $30 million to spend and walked away with ~$9.55 million left over, ultimately leaving our total payroll around ~$115 million.
Departed players (in order): OF Domingo Santana, LHP Raymond Kerr, 2B Dee Gordon, OF Mallex Smith, RHP Juan Then, RHP Devin Sweet, RHP Natanael Garabitos, C Omar Narváez, LHP Taylor Guilbeau
Players acquired (in order): LHP Anthony Banda, RHP José De León, RHP Aaron Sanchez, RHP José Ureña, OF Lewis Brinson, RHP Chris Archer, UTL Kevin Kramer, LHP Andrew Heaney, OF Brandon Marsh, OF Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, LHP Robbie Erlin, LHP Drew Smyly
With that, the full 40-man roster shakes out as…
Starting pitchers (9): Marco Gonzales, Chris Archer, Justus Sheffield, Andrew Heaney, Yusei Kikuchi, José Ureña, Aaron Sanchez, Ricardo Sánchez, Justin Dunn
Relief pitchers (15): Art Warren, Brandon Brennan, Dan Altavilla, Reggie McClain, José De León, Robbie Erlin, Anthony Banda, Zac Grotz, Phillips Valdez, Matt Festa, Austin Adams, Gerson Bautista, Matt Magill, Erik Swanson, Sam Tuivailala
Catchers (2): Tom Murphy, Austin Nola
Infielders (8): Daniel Vogelbach, Shed Long, Tim Lopes, Donnie Walton, Kyle Seager, J.P. Crawford, Kevin Kramer, Dylan Moore
Outfielders (6): Mitch Haniger, Lewis Brinson, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, Jake Fraley, Braden Bishop, Kyle Lewis
dark. Next. Mariners Offseason Simulation Day 3 Recap