Mariners should take a shot on former on-base machine cut loose by Giants

The San Francisco Giants made a somewhat surprising move on Wednesday, announcing that first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. and backup catcher Sam Huff had been designated for assignment.

While the surface numbers suggest the decision was inevitable, there’s more nuance to Wade’s profile in particular. And for a Seattle Mariners team that needs more on-base consistency, this may be a great opportunity to act.

Wade has had a rough go in 2025, no question. He opened the season in an 0-for-18 slump and was slashing an abysmal .167/.275/.271 overall when he was DFA'd. He had been in the middle of a 3-for-22 stretch that lacked signs of turning the corner. From the outside, it looks like a player in steep decline.

Could LaMonte Wade Jr. become a buy-low fit for the Mariners?

Zoom further out, and the story becomes more complicated — and at the same time more interesting for a team like Seattle.

Just last season, Wade posted a .260/.380/.381 line with one of the league’s best walk rates (15.5 percent). Across 2023 and 2024 combined, he ran an elite .376 on-base percentage (OBP) and consistently punished right-handed pitching. His splits were lopsided — he’s been heavily platooned throughout his career and owns a pretty weak .193/.288/.250 line against southpaws — but against righties, he’s long been a reliable table-setter.

Even amid his current struggles, the underlying plate discipline metrics remain intact. Wade still ranks in the 99th percentile in chase rate, signaling his trademark eye hasn’t left him. That kind of profile — patient, OBP-driven, and matchup-dependent — might not be flashy, but it fills a very real need in Seattle.

The Mariners rank 29th in Major League Baseball in OBP from the first base position. As much as fans have enjoyed the occasional power burst from Rowdy Tellez, his inconsistency and lack of OBP (.257) play a role in Seattle's offense sputtering in recent weeks.

That’s where Wade comes in. He may not be a savior, but as a low-risk, high-discipline bat with a proven history of getting on base, Wade fits the identity Seattle could ride to success. Grinding pitchers down, stringing together quality plate appearances, and forcing opposing staffs into mistakes.

It’s likely that the Mariners will not claim Wade at his price tag. But if they could scoop him up even on a minor-league deal, there's little downside. Let him get a few weeks of regular at-bats in Tacoma, see if the OBP profile sticks, and call him up when the matchup is right. In what looks to be a tight race in the AL West, it could prove to be a small but meaningful edge.