Mariners fans cringe as 3 former stars light up 2025 spring training

Seeing a beloved player leave a team is never easy. And of the 12 most valuable players on the 2022 Seattle Mariners squad that finally ended the franchise's 21-year playoff drought, six have since left the organization.

Not having their contributions is one thing, but the feeling is worsened by watching them reach new heights with different teams. Here are three examples of former Mariners off to a hot start in spring training elsewhere.

Ty France, Minnesota Twins

After arriving in Seattle via a trade with the San Diego Padres in 2020, France got off to a great start. His first two full seasons were outstanding and he made his first and only All-Star appearance in 2022. The next season was when the problems began, as he managed an OPS+ of just 101 over his 665 plate appearances.

Despite a conscious effort to make positive adjustments, France simply couldn't get back on track in 2024. He was eventually designated for assignment and traded to the Cincinnati Reds, where his numbers tumbled even further as he finished with a mere 92 OPS+. He then elected free agency.

This offseason, France signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Twins to try and revive his career. And so far, things look promising. Across 25 spring training plate appearances, he's slashing .522/.560/.957 with four doubles and two home runs.

He has never been known to be a powerful first baseman, never hitting more than 20 home runs in a season. That seems to be changing as he continues to work on his swing with the Driveline team, something he picked back up after being designated for assignment by Seattle.

France was undeniably bad towards the end of his time in Seattle. Yet given the uncertainty around the team's depth at first base, watching him put up solid numbers of the course of a full big-league season could be a painful thing to witness in 2025.

Eugenio Suárez, Arizona Diamondbacks

More lovingly known as "Geno," Suárez was sent to Seattle alongside Jesse Winker in a cost-cutting trade by the Reds during the final weeks of spring training in 2022. He was outstanding in his first year as a Mariner and was second on the team with a 129 OPS+.

Like France, Suárez's numbers regressed in 2023 and it was the second consecutive year he led the AL in strikeouts. In November of that year, he was sent to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Carlos Vargas and Seby Zavala, a move that cut nearly $12 million from the 2024 payroll.

Upon arriving in Arizona, Suárez's first-half .668 OPS made it seem like the Mariners got out at just the right time. However, he turned up the heat with a second-half OPS of .942 and finished the year with a 116 OPS+ and 3.1 rWAR. Whatever adjustments he made seem to have stuck as he's carried over this hot streak into this year's spring training. Over 35 plate appearances, he's slashing .393/.486/.750 with four doubles, two homers and 13 RBI.

The Mariners haven't been able to find a consistent presence at third base since Kyle Seager retired, and their most recent signing was met with mixed reception. Suárez, despite his frequent over-exuberant swings, could end up being the one that got away.

Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants

After years of inconsistency, Ray finally reached the pinnacle of pitching in 2021, leading AL starters in rWAR (6.9), ERA (2.84), innings pitched (193.1), ERA+ (157), WHIP (1.045), and leading all of MLB in strikeouts (248) on the way to his first ever Cy Young award. Thus, it was major news when the Mariners signed him to a five-year, $115 million contract in 2022.

Unfortunately, the Robbie Ray they received was not the one that was advertised. His first year with the team was lukewarm, resulting in a 3.71 ERA as he was outshone by Logan Gilbert and George Kirby. In 2023, he suffered an injury in his first start of the season and required Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. After being traded to the Giants in exchange for Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani, he was only able to make seven starts in 2024 to a 4.70 ERA.

Now that he's fully healthy, Ray seems closer to what he once was. Across two spring training starts, he has struck out nine hitters without giving up a single run. His fastball velocity is back to being around 95 mph and his slider has shown good movement.

Because his stint with the Mariners was short and forgettable, many remember Ray as the pitcher who gave up the walk-off home run to Yordan Alvarez in the 2022 ALDS. Furthermore, because of the wealth of pitching talent in Seattle's rotation, his services may not be as missed.

Nonetheless, a southpaw with a career strikeout rate of 29.0% still holds value and would be an add for any team. If he puts up 2025 numbers akin to those in his Cy Young campaign, then Seattle may feel a twinge of regret but they likely have no qualms about offloading the remaining $50 million on his contract.