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Seattle Mariners Holiday Wishlist: 3 free agent options at second base
The Seattle Mariners need an upgrade at second base for a multitude of reasons, here are three free-agent candidates that fit the offseason plan.
The Seattle Mariners currently have a hole at the second base position. Opening day starter Shed Long Jr. played through a shin injury the entire season, yielding a step backward in production based on his 2019 sample size. Dee Strange-Gordon is gone, and the Mariners would like better defensive value than Ty France provides at a key position.
The Seattle Mariners also needs more offensive production out of that position, period. Because of an injury to Dylan Moore, Servais was unable to platoon for Long as much as he would’ve liked against lefties. Shed Long ended up starting eight games against lefties in last season’s 60 game sprint, and in 35 plate appearances overall against lefties he only recorded two hits.
Dylan Moore's .987 OPS is 11th-best in the American League (min. 50 PA). He joins @710ESPNSeattle this morning at 9:30 am PT. #Mariners pic.twitter.com/QrczzQaESy
— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) August 14, 2020
Dylan Moore will likely be penciled in much more often as an outfielder in 2021, as he displayed the ability to be one of the better defensive outfielders in baseball in 2020. Moore’s +4 DRS checked in as top-20 in all outfielders, and his overall UZR of +3.7 has him rated as a top-ten defensive outfielder in all of baseball. His value belongs in the outfield next season.
The Seattle Mariners could also look into free agent DJ LeMahieu who would be a great fit, but it is not as realistic due to his market value. LeMahieu is an elite free agent this offseason, so the Mariners might need to look at more affordable options. Here are three free agent targets that the Mariners should consider to fill their hole at second base.
2020 Gold Glover César Hernández
Certainly the most well-rounded of the three, Cesar Hernandez had a productive season at the plate in his lone year in Cleveland. Hernandez continued to square-up more baseballs in 2020, recording career high’s in Barrel% and HardHit%. His power numbers continued their upward trend in the last few years, pacing the American League with 20 doubles last season.
What will the Mariners do with Yusei Kikuchi?. light. Hot
Although Hernandez’s power comes mainly from the left side, he actually is batting at a higher clip (.287) from the right side in his career. He also sees the ball just as well from the left side, if not better as suggested by nearly a 4% difference in K%. An uptick in power from the left side would only make Hernandez a tougher out in games started versus lefties, as he would become more dangerous as matchups set in.
Hernandez also won the Gold Glove Award this past season at second base in the American League. He experienced a true breakout season defensively playing across from Francisco Lindor in Cleveland, as his UZR rose +3.1 from 2020. Hernandez’s defensive runs saved also climbed up nine whole points to +6.
A top-50 runner based on pure speed in 2020, Hernandez has also averaged 18 steals per 162 games in 2015-2019. Hernandez would be an all-around upgrade at second base, with the potential to establish himself as a valuable trade asset if things do not go to plan in 2021. Let’s now meet the next free agent second baseman on my wishlist.
Former All-Star Jonathan Schoop
Establishing himself as one of the more powerful second basemen in all of baseball early in his career in Baltimore, Jonathon Schoop has had an intriguing career. An All-Star with the Orioles in 2017, Schoop actually had a streak of four straight years with 20 or more home runs before 2020. His power he displays from the right side, including his ability to hit lefties hard present him as an interesting option to fill the Mariners need at second base.
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Despite a high K% throughout his career, Schoop has been able to walk and hit enough to provide above-average value to a lineup. He peaked in his All-Star campaign of 2017, with 32 homers, 105 RBI’s, and a 120 wRC+. Schoop was shipped to Milwaukee at the 2018 trade deadline, but could not continue to slug his way to success for the Brewers, hitting only .202 with four home runs.
After signing with the Twins in the offseason that followed, Schoop – like the rest of the 2019 Twins – proceeded to slug his way to success, ending 2019 with a .473 slugging percentage and 23 home runs in 121 games. Schoop was picked up by Detroit last offseason and continued to show that his 2018 struggles were a fluke. He actually raised his home-run-to-fly-ball ratio is 2020, and was on pace to go deep 20 times for a fifth straight season.
Schoop +2.4 UZR actually checked in as third among all qualified second baseman in 2020, showing that he has the willingness and ability to improve defensively. Schoop would be a low-risk, high-reward option to plug in at second base in 2021. Now let’s examine the final free agent option for Jerry Dipoto.
2016 Stolen Base Champion Jonathan Villar
Jonathan Villar has become a bit of an anomaly in his Major League career. He has had his share of lowlights but has become a much more consistent power-speed combo over the last four years. After posting a wRC+ of 111 in just 58 games in 2015, Villar landed in Milwaukee via trade. He changed his launch angle by nearly two degrees upwards in 2016, allowing him to drive the ball in the air more often.
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That resulted in a career year for Villar at the plate, swatting 19 home runs and 38 doubles. He also swiped a league-high 62 bases to go along with his .826 OPS in 2016. Despite a down 2018 season, Villar is coming off a similar power-speed display in 2019, when he blasted 24 home runs and stole 40 bases while having a wRC+ of 107. 2020 was a lost year for Villar, as it was for so many of us.
His numbers fell victim to a small sample size, and are really not worth getting into. Villar profiles well for the Mariners as he displays more power from the right side against lefties in his career, with a 20 point increase in slugging percentage when comparing his career splits. Villar’s defense will be where he hopes to show strides in 2021, as he has never statistically been an above-average defender at second base in his career.
The M’s have shown a willingness to let infield coach Perry Hill transform guys defensively (J.P. Crawford, Dylan Moore) but it remains to be seen who Dipoto will roll with at second base in 2021. Teams are in the midst of the Winter Meetings so things could become more clear in the next couple of weeks. The Mariners have made a couple of moves but not any major ones so stay tuned for more from Jerry Dipoto.
dark. Next. 5 bold trade ideas for the Mariners