3 Mariners players who may not be back after 2021

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 22: Luis Torrens #22 of the Seattle Mariners looks on in the first inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on September 22, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 22: Luis Torrens #22 of the Seattle Mariners looks on in the first inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on September 22, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
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Seattle Mariners Mitch Haniger
SEATTLE, WA – APRIL 30: Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the game against the Chicago Cubs at T-Mobile Park on April 30, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. The Cubs defeated the Mariners 6-5. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Mitch Haniger

Mitch Haniger in my mind is the least likely of the three on this list to be gone in 2022. Haniger is heading into a weird season where he is recovering from multiple injuries and surgeries that kept him out for half of 2019 and all of 2020.

However, right before all of the injuries in 2018, he had a batting line of .285/.366/.493 with an .859 OPS that led him to his first and only All-Star Game and the 11th place in the MVP vote. So why would Mitch be gone before the 2022 season starts?

Most likely it is because he might not be a part of the plan in the Mariners front offices’ minds as he is only under team control for one more year after 2021, and in that case they could trade Haniger especially if the Mariners are not competing at the deadline and he is having a repeat of his 2018 season.

Haniger could also have a really bad 2021 season. I certainly hope he doesn’t and don’t think he will, based on what Jerry Dipoto said recently about his fitness, but being out of baseball for two years could lead to poor performance and then the Mariners could non-tender Haniger at the end of 2021 as they would not want to pay his third year of arbitration salary.

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