Mariners FA target: Matt Duffy could be a sneaky good target

Every once in a while, there will be a player in baseball that makes me wonder “why don’t more teams want this guy? Why isn’t he getting recognized more?”. Today’s focus is on a guy who definitely fits the bill, and it’s Matt Duffy. I think he would be a great, and underrated, signing for the Seattle Mariners.

Whenever he gets a chance to play, it seems like he does well. The only part that I can’t defend is 2019 when he hit .252/.343/.327 in 46 games for Tampa. Maybe it was an injury, or sporadic playing time, but that was the lone year he struggled. He still provided a positive WAR, even if it was 0.1. He also didn’t play in 2017 or 2020. As I said, when he gets playing time, he’s good. It’s just a struggle to find sometimes.

Matt Duffy is a sneaky good player and would be great for the Mariners

I wanted to get the negative season out of the way so that we can focus on the good that he has done. Knowing that I risk just looking like baseball-reference, I want to give you his numbers from 2015, 16, 18, and 20.

• 2015: 149 G, 573 AB, .295/.334/.428, 12 HR, 12 SB, 108 OPS+, 3.9 WAR
• 2016: 91 G, 333 AB, .258/.310/.357, 5 HR, 8 SB, 82 OPS+, 1.2 WAR
• 2018: 132 G, 503 AB, .294/.361/.366, 4 HR, 12 SB, 104 OPS+, 2.9 WAR
• 2020: 97 G, 289 AB, .287/.357/.381, 5 HR, 8 SB, 100 OPS+, 1.6 WAR

I know it’s a lot, but I think it’s important to what I’m trying to get across. Duffy is a darn good player. Whoever he signs with, I really do think he will be one of the handful of guys that fans look back on and wonder how he signed for that cheap of an amount. Also, I don’t really understand the 2016 OPS+, it seems like it should be higher.

You’re likely getting somewhere around a 2-3 WAR player with Duffy, as long as you actually give him playing time. I’m not saying he’s the solution, and that he would be the reason the Mariners are an incredible team. What I do like about him is the solid slash line for a contact hitter, the solid defense, and the ability to play 2nd/3rd with a tiny sample of the outfield.

There’s a part of me that wonders if we can give Duffy 130 games if he is going to push that 3.0 WAR mark. That playing with regularity gives him more confidence and helps him to perform better. Would 130 games with a .280/.350/.380 be unrealistic? I don’t think so.

I still think that the Mariners need to sign a big-time bat for the lineup in order to make that push from fun to dangerous. Whether we do or do not sign Kris Bryant or Trevor Story, I definitely think that Duffy could be an amazing fit for the Mariners. We would have a handful of guys who could play all over the place, which wouldn’t be a bad thing, especially as the occasional inevitable injury happens.

Matt Duffy would be a fun and interesting piece for the Seattle Mariners, and if it came out that we ended up signing him, I think it would be a win for the team and fans alike.