Is free agent David Dahl a risk the Seattle Mariners should take on?

David Dahl was a surprise non-tender player which makes him a free agent. Should the Seattle Mariners take a chance on him?

The 26-year-old outfielder David Dahl was once a shiny exciting Colorado Rockies prospect, but injuries have always been an issue for him. I think David Dahl is a legitimate player with a lot of talent and someone the Seattle Mariners should consider since he recently became a free agent when the Rockies decided to non-tender him.

He was the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Rockies and had a very good minor league career which propelled him to make the MLB as a 22-year-old in 2016. Prior to his MLB debut in 2016, he was the Rockies’ 2nd ranked prospect in the organization. Before entering the big leagues, he dealt with several injuries including one in 2015 right before his 2016 debut.

Once Dahl was promoted mid-season during 2016 after tearing up Triple-A and played 63 games with the Rockies. In those 63 games, Dahl batted .315, slugged .500, hit seven home runs, and stole five bases. After he joined the Rockies, I became an immediate fan of his playstyle. David Dahl is a well-rounded player standing at 6’2″, who can hit, run, throw, and play defense. According to ESPN, out of high school he had “the tools to develop to a true five-tool player.”

After a successful 2016 campaign, David Dahl suffered a stress fracture in a rib during the 2017 spring training. While he was recovering in the minor leagues, he incurred back spasms which shut him down for the entire season. He would finally return to the Rockies lineup in 2018 but would not play the entire season.

He began the 2018 season once again in the minor leagues to get back into the swing of things, but he would break his foot at the end of May. Dahl made his return from the injured list in August and finished with a .273 average, slugged .534, and hit 16 home runs in 77 games. Dahl also stole five bases, hit 11 doubles and three triples. Despite his health struggles, he would fight to make an impact during the 2019 season.

David Dahl is a very risky player, but there is a lot to like about him

As I mentioned before, I have been a fan of David Dahl and I have always been a believer in comeback stories. Dahl has been on the injured list more than the amount of MLB seasons he has played in. The outfielder is still young and full of potential but the injury concerns are very real.

The Seattle Mariners are in need of some left-handed batters to balance its right-handed heavy lineup. Yes, the Mariners have a packed outfield already and are expecting Taylor Trammell, and Jarred Kelenic to play in the big leagues. But adding a guy like Dahl might be worthwhile as a platoon player to minimize his potential for injuries.

Bringing in a player like Dahl might require sacrificing players like Braden Bishop or Jake Fraley, who have both not proven themselves at the big league level. But I think you can see where I am going with this. David Dahl might be a rather affordable free agent because of his injury history, but if healthy, he could be a steal of a signing.

The Seattle Mariners do not necessarily need his 2019 All-Star numbers, but it is something they could hope for. Dahl could platoon with Mitch Haniger as he attempts to make a big comeback from his injury as well. Or Dahl could mix into the designated hitter mix, something he has not been able to do while with the Rockies, a National League team.

To summarize, I think if the Seattle Mariners can make room, or have room on its roster for David Dahl, they should highly consider it. I am unfortunately not so optimistic about Jake Fraley, and Braden Bishop and David Dahl have a much higher ceiling than both of them. I am not saying that I want Dahl as a starting outfielder over the likes of Kyle Lewis, Jarred Kelenic, or even Taylor Trammell, but Dahl could be a great player off the bench or role player.

But, if the Mariners get really lucky and Dahl is playing like his 2019 All-Star self, that would be a major win. The Seattle Mariners are not really in a win-now stage so they do not need to sign “safe” players, they can take a bit of a risk on a young player like Dahl.