Mariners' newest signing shows how desperate team is getting as injuries pile up

Seattle Mariners fans are still waiting for that moment when the team will (hopefully) take off and run away with the AL West. But this is increasingly a "don't hold your breath" possibility, as the injuries have gotten so bad that they're out there signing guys like Weston Wilson just in case.

The signing of Wilson happened not long after he was designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles, and it eluded even MLB Trade Rumors for a few days after the Mariners did it without formally announcing it. The 31-year-old already has a couple games with Triple-A Tacoma under his belt.

Pretty much everything about Wilson screams, "Organizational depth!" His 124 major league games are next to 845 games in the minors. And while he does have a 105 OPS+ to show for the MLB action, his main appeal is as a guy who can play three infield positions and the corner outfield spots — and even pitch on occasion.

They can't all be stars, of course. Wilson is ultimately a functional pro ballplayer, and there's a non-zero chance that he'll be needed in Seattle before long.

Mariners are scrambling to prop up a roster that is falling apart brick by brick

Weston Wilson is basically a new Will Wilson, whose fractured thumb might need season-ending surgery. He's also a right-handed hitter, and the Mariners need as many of those as they can get amid a season where they have just an 85 wRC+ against lefty pitchers.

Meanwhile, Randy Arozarena and Brendan Donovan remain on the injured list, while Julio Rodríguez, Josh Naylor and Luke Raley have been sidelined by day-to-day (there's that dirty word again) injuries within the last week. Oh, and Leo Rivas and Brennen Davis (basically proof that the earth is still spinning) are on the injured list in the minors.

Justin Hollander could barely contain his exasperation on Tuesday, claiming: “I’ve really never seen anything quite like this on the position-player side."

No kidding, and the strain of the injuries has become persistently evident in the run column. The Mariners enter their set against the Boston Red Sox this weekend having scored no more than three runs in any of their last five games.

This is to say nothing of the injuries that have overwhelmed the bullpen, which leaves the starting rotation as the one part of the roster that's still intact. It has no choice but to carry the team for now, and that depends on how the latest iteration of the piggyback experiment pans out.

Frankly, this article can be boiled down to a seven-word synopsis of "The Mariners are a mess right now." That's just the reality of it, so one at least hopes that Weston Wilson knew what he was signing up for.

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