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

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.