Seattle Mariners fan proposes a starting infield, is it viable?

We continue to rifle through some of the questions we have been getting from fans of the Seattle Mariners and answering as many as we can. Today, we tackle a proposal for a future starting infield.

Our good pal on Twitter (@Seattle_09) and noted fan of the Seattle Mariners ask us a very simple question that is, once again, impossible to answer. But let’s take a look at what Seattle_09 has for us.

Well, let’s start by establishing a few things. Eduardo Escobar is currently the starting third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is under contract until after the 2021 season. He is 31-years-old meaning the earliest this proposal can become a reality is the beginning of 2022 when Escobar is 33-years-old.

Now, we discussed this in a previous article, but Kyle Seager will have a 1-year, $15 million team option for 2022, so he very well could be in the mix as well. In addition, expecting Noelvi Marte to be ready to go by Opening Day 2022 is a huge ask, especially when he will likely not get to play in a single baseball game this season.

So right away, we have two major flags on the play accounting for the entire left side of the infield. In addition, I’d like to ask our friend where he envisions current shortstop J.P. Crawford is in this scenario? Crawford will be arbitration-eligible for the first time in the winter of 2021, the first time Escobar could become a Mariner, and it is unlikely he will just be off the roster.

Ultimately, if Marte shocks me and can play a good shortstop and be able to handle Major League pitching as a 20-year-old and Escobar continues to be the same player he has been for the past 2 years into 2022, then there is a lot to like about this idea.

But just read that last paragraph out loud. Isn’t that a lot to expect? So to answer the question, am I “in or out”, I would have to say in theory, I am in. In reality, I have to do my best Mark Cuban, and say, “For those reasons, I am out”.

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