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In a season where things continually seemed to go wrong for the Mariners, the trade of Luis Castillo to the White Sox was one of the most positive things to happen to the organization. As well as getting Castillo's remaining salary off their books, the M's were gifted a return package which included Seranthony Domínguez, Nolan Jones, and Boston Smith. Now though, one of the trio has decided his future lies elsewhere.
As confirmed on Jones' MLB.com page, the outfielder elected for free agency on Tuesday to conclude an eventful season which saw him play for three organizations. He started the year with the Guardians, was traded to the White Sox during June and then landed in the Pacific Northwest at the beginning of August. It really looked as if he was going to be a good get for the M's, but it just didn't pan out as hoped.
Domínguez was excellent for the Mariners following some early stumbles, as he produced a sublime 0.49 ERA in his last 16 appearances spanning 18.1 innings. The too good to be true Smith continued what was a breakout year for him, to finish with a .990 OPS and 158 wRC+ which came across three levels including Double-A. As for Jones, he only had a .783 OPS in Tacoma, which was nothing special.
Nolan Jones looking increasingly like another example of unfulfilled potential
A major part of the reason why there was genuine hope with Jones, was down to the promise of unfulfilled potential. More specifically what he did in 2023 while with the Rockies, when he hit .297 and produced a .931 OPS and 137 wRC+ on his way to a 4.3 bWAR. He finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting (which included two second-place votes), and his future looked promising.
Unfortunately for Jones, he compiled a negative bWAR in each of the next two seasons and this year didn't even see any playing time in the majors at any of his three stops. Some may point out that his .783 OPS in Tacoma specifically and .799 OPS overall this season isn't bad, and they'd be right. However, both numbers are a fair bit off his career pace of a .856 OPS and this was his fifth season of Triple-A experience, which alludes to a potential decline.
Overall, the Castillo trade remains a big win for the Mariners, but it's still a shame that things didn't work out with Jones. At the age of 28, it seems increasingly likely that the 2016 second-rounder just isn't going to make the most of his talent. Not that we'll mind if he proves us wrong, and we wish him all the best for the future wherever he ends up next.
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