5 Free Agents that make sense for Seattle Mariners to sign

The Seattle Mariners roster is nearly set for the beginning of Spring Training 2020. But hey still need to add a few arms and have some other positions they should at least explore.

While most of the big names are gone, the Mariners were never really interested in going that route anyway. In fact, when you look at their 3 MLB free-agent contracts they gave out this winter, they only spent about $3.5 million in total.

But GM Jerry Dipoto warned us all that it was going to be a quiet off-season and thus far, he has been right. But late last week, Dipoto also told fans that he anticipated signing another starter and bullpen arm in the early this week. He also added that the team may add a veteran outfielder as well, but didn’t view it as a necessity as the team believes Mitch Haniger will not miss much time in April.

But while we know the Mariners aren’t going to add any huge names in the next few weeks, there are still quality free agents that make a lot of sense for them, either with MLB or MILB deals. So today, let’s look at 5 free agents the Mariners could be targeting. And just for fun, let’s eliminate the two names most directly linked to Seattle; Taijuan Walker and Yoshihisa Hirano. Both would be good additions, but let’s talk about some new names.

5. Andrew Cashner, RHP

Nobody is ever going to celebrate the addition of Andrew Cashner. The 33-year-old, 10-year veteran has been around the block a few times and has been decidedly average for most of his career. But Cashner has one thing going for him: he’s a pretty reliable arm.

Currently, the Mariners starting rotation has one arm that has thrown more than 150 innings in more than one season. Marco Gonzales needs help. The bullpen needs somebody else on the pitching staff to eat innings. Yusei Kikuchi made it through his rookie season just fine but both Justus Sheffield and Kendall Graveman are major question marks.

Cashner has thrown 150+ innings in 3 consecutive years, 4 of the past 5 seasons, and 5 of his last 7. He is durable, posts league average ERA and FIP, and has experience both in the rotation and in the bullpen.

He actually doesn’t have terrible stuff but relies heavily on his 94 MPH fastball, which may be his worst pitch. There isn’t a lot Cashner can offer you in terms of return value in a trade this summer, as it is unlikely Seattle will turn him into anything more than he has already been. But he is durable, cheap, and good enough to keep the team in games. That makes him a decent possibility.

3. Collin McHugh, RHP

Aside from Taijuan Walker and perhaps Fernando Rodney, Collin McHugh may be the player I would be the most excited to see the Mariners sign. The former Houston Astros starter turned secret bullpen weapon can fill multiple roles on the Mariners pitching staff and still possess the good raw stuff he has always had.

McHugh, who turns 33-years-old in June, struggled in 2019 and battled through some elbow pain all season. Considering he was entering free agency, there may not have been a worse possible time for this. But prior to 2019, be it as a reliever or as a starter, McHugh delivered.

In his career, he has posted an 8.67 K/9, a 2.61 BB/9, a 3.73 FIP, and a 12 fWAR in 800 innings. McHugh also scores well on the spin rate scale where his fastball sits in the 77th percentile and his curveball sits in the 88th percentile. But despite this spin rate, McHugh basically ditched the curve, throwing it just 8% of the time compared to 2018 when he threw it 18.2% of the time.

This could be a direct result of the elbow injury and if there are any lingering issues, then McHugh will have a tough time finding work in 2020.

But McHugh also has a good slider and mixes in a decent cutter and changeup. He has a starter repertoire with swing and miss stuff. He can go multiple innings out of the bullpen or could possibly be converted back to a starter.

And now, thanks to a down season and concerns about his elbow, he can a Mariner for, in the grand scheme of things, free. Where do I sign up and do I get a gift if I sign up a friend? Collin McHugh would look great in Mariners’ navy blue so long as the elbow checks out.

2. David Phelps, RHP

You may remember David Phelps for the 4 weeks or so he was with the Mariners back in 2017. Unfortunately, not long after Seattle acquired him, he hit the shelf with Tommy John surgery and never pitched for them again. But that could be about to change.

Phelps missed all of the 2018 season but returned in 2019 with the Blue Jays. Phelps was good enough to find himself traded to the Cubs, who ultimately declined his player option. But despite that, Phelps had a really good bounceback season and could take another step as he moves further away from TJ surgery.

In 2019, Phelps threw 34.1 innings in 41 appearances and posted a 3.41 ERA, a 4.58 FIP, a 9.44 K/9, and a 4.46 BB/9. Both his fastball and curveball created above-average spin rates. Phelps best two offerings are his cutter and curveball and prior to his surgery, he was one of the better middle-relievers in the game.

Obviously, the hope with Phelps is that now a full year removed from surgery, he can get back to throwing 50-70 innings while posting strikeout rates closer to 10.5 K/9. He has never been an elite command guy, as his 3.57 BB/9 rate will show, but he has good stuff and can generate swing and misses often.

Prior to his injury in 2017, Phelps flashed upper-echelon set-up man type of stuff and he could get there again. Seattle may even be able to offer him a chance to be the closer for a season, racking up saves and dollars with a solid bounceback campaign.

This late in free agency, teams are looking for lottery tickets. Phelps has a good chance of paying off and while the payout may not be the mega millions jackpot, you won’t be complaining if he hits his upside.

His medicals are going to be a big deal for any team looking to sign him. But if he is healthy, it seems like a no-brainer for a team that desperately needs veterans in their bullpen.

1. Aaron Sanchez, RHP

I honestly can’t believe Aaron Sanchez isn’t yet signed. It leads me to believe that the shoulder injury that ended his 2019 season is worse than we know. Now granted, Sanchez hasn’t produced at any significant level since 2016. But the combination of his talent, age, and upside should be enticing to most teams.

Sanchez relies heavily on his sinker, which thanks to a juiced ball and a change in approach from MLB hitters, has caused many similar pitchers to suffer. What’s interesting about Sanchez is that his best pitch might be his curveball. It ranked in the 91st percentile for spin rate in 2019.

But up until he joined the Astros, Sanchez barely threw the pitch. In 2018 he only threw the curveball 12%, the least used pitch in his arsenal. And in 2016 and 2017, the usage hovered around 16%.

Sanchez’s fastball velocity has dropped pretty quickly over the past 3 years, but he still averages roughly 94 mph on his sinker, which is plenty good enough. We have watched his upside up close as he threw a combined no-hitter against the Mariners shortly after arriving in Houston.

Sanchez is quite a mystery. He has good raw stuff but has never been great at missing bats. He has average at best control. He does produce a lot of groundballs and up until last season, did a great job of keeping the ball in the ballpark.

But the numbers don’t lie and since 2016, Sanchez has been just a tick above replacement level. And if this was 5 years ago, I probably wouldn’t be all that interested. But something has changed in the Mariners organization recently: they became really good at developing arms.

Whether it is with their draftees or MLB guys, Seattle has shown an ability to get more from their arms than previous employers. I can’t tell you exactly what Sanchez needs to do get back on track, but I do trust the Mariners to figure it out and set up a plan to make it happen.

Maybe it doesn’t work out and Sanchez just can’t turn things around. But at that point, it will have cost the Mariners just a couple million dollars and a few games in a season where the win total won’t be the measure of success.

Anytime a team can chase upside without any downside on their end of things, they should be interested. This goes for all teams, not just rebuilding ones. But something cool happens when you’re honest with the fan base and tell them not to expect the playoffs in 2020: you get to take a risk without pissing them off. Sanchez is a risk, but a good one. I’d like to see him in a uniform come March.