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3 former Mariners we'll be glad are gone in 2024 and 2 we'll wish stayed
With the most roster turnover in baseball, we say goodbye to a couple of fan favorites. Here are some we are glad to see leave, and ones we wish didn't
Coming into the 2023-24 offseason, fans expected the Mariners to be active. After a disappointing 2023 season, there were undoubtedly some changes that needed to be made. They had a few holes in the lineup (that they just seem to never be able to fill), but nothing was too glaring.
The amount of moves this offseason and roster turnover may have surprised a lot of fans. After Dipoto came out and stated that they wanted to cut back on the strikeouts we saw a massive overhaul with a new starter at five of the nine offensive positions. It will be interesting to see how this team meshes with so many new faces, though, they definitely added some good clubhouse guys with Mitch Haniger and veterans Mitch Garver and Jorge Polanco.
With so much turn and burn from Dipoto and Hollander this offseason, there are certainly going to be hits and misses, it’s the name of the game. There are also going to be a lot of mixed emotions as new faces always bring excitement about what could be for this year. The loss of fan favorites and uber-talented former top prospects might be tough for others. Today we take a look at a few players we will be glad are gone and a couple that will be hard to have seen go.
Mariners player fans will be thrilled to see gone: Jarred Kelenic
There is no denying Kelenic’s talent. The former sixth-overall pick quickly progressed and dominated the minor leagues. His power/speed combination along with solid defense as a left-handed bat, made him a dream fit for this Mariners team. Fans often fantasized about an outfield of Julio and Kelenic together; it seemed like it had the makings of a “Batman and Robin” sort of pairing.
Kelenic flashed his tremendous potential numerous times but could never string it together consistently. He dealt with injuries, strikeout issues, batting stance chances, and what seemed like many mental battles. For a team that is ready to compete, waiting on Kelenic to figure it out seemed like a wasted adventure. This team needs production right now and couldn’t afford to give Kelenic regular at-bats in hopes it clicks.
The final issue was the immaturity. During Kelenic's time with the Mariners, we saw this on display numerous times with frustration at the plate, even kicking a water cooler late in the year (costing him a few months) that really showed his maturity level. He further emphasized this after being traded to the Braves, continuing to take shots at the Mariners.
I don’t think any of us would be surprised to see Kelenic become a very good player, it just wasn’t worth it to be with the Mariners. The inconsistency and level of maturity didn’t seem to fit in well with this club from both a clubhouse culture and production standpoint.
Mariners player fans wish stayed: Tom Murphy
After just talking about culture with Kelenic, we go to the flipside here with Tom Murphy. One of the most entertaining players in the Mariners clubhouse and an absolute glue guy, Tom Murphy was an absolute fan favorite.
"Murph" wasn't just a fan favorite, however, he was a very good baseball player, and though he struggled to remain healthy, he was one of the Mariners' best bats when he was in the lineup. He only played in 47 games in 2023 but posted a crazy 140 wRC+ with eight home runs in just 159 plate appearances.
Murphy played 41 of his 47 games at catcher, and in reality, he should've had a similar role that Mitch Garver should have this year. He should've been the emergency catcher who was the primary DH. This would allow him to stay healthy and for the Mariners to take advantage of his big-time bat.
The biggest issue I have with not retaining Murphy was the contract he signed with the Giants was not a prohibitive one at all. The Mariners very easily should've been able to match that contract; the issue remains that Dipoto and Hollander were under such strict financial constraints, that allocating $4M to a backup catcher who struggled to stay healthy just wasn't worth it.
Letting someone like Murphy go, someone who was really good and fit so well in the clubhouse, over $4M is something that will frustrate fans. This is all on ownership and I hope Murphy goes to San Fransisco and makes Mariner's ownership regret letting him walk over a few million bucks.
Mariners player fans will be thrilled to see gone: Teoscar Hernandez
The prize of the 2022-23 offseason, Teo, seemed to be the big bat the Mariners needed to pair with the young guns and veterans alike. He was coming off a couple of really good seasons with the Blue Jays and his right-handed power swing seemed to fit in well, in the middle of the Mariners lineup.
Teo struggled pretty badly in 2023, striking out more than 31% of the time. He also slugged just .435, a poor number for a corner outfielder who was widely considered a “slugger”. He was still a slightly above average bat (105 wRC+) on the year but there were a lot of underlying issues.
Perhaps the most frustrating part for Mariners fans was the up and down nature of Teo’s offensive season. In June and August, he was one of the best bats in baseball with a 160 and 191 wRC+ respectively. The rest of the season was extremely disappointing as his highest wRC+ was in March/April, posting an 84 wRC+. He was one of the worst bats in baseball in July, with a 46 wRC+ and a .286 slugging percentage. This is just too much variance for a player expected to provide his level of production.
The debate this offseason was whether or not the Mariners would extend the qualifying offer. Though he signed a one-year $23.5M deal with the Dodgers, his 2024 salary is $15M because of deferred money. Even with that being slightly less than the qualifying offer, for the Mariners that price for his inconsistent production just wasn’t worth it. He will probably hit well for the Dodgers, because let’s face it, it seems like everyone does. The Mariners will be glad to fill his spot with other options in 2024, however.
Mariners player fans wish stayed: Eugenio Suarez
We are sticking with a theme here; the two bats the Mariners will regret letting go of were strong clubhouse guys. Geno was a fan favorite and an absolute character. From his speeches, the good vibes, and even the entertaining "hacky sack" with the baseball shows he put on from time to time, he was one of the most entertaining players to watch.
I get why the Mariners let him leave. He has regressed a lot offensively and showed even more signs of regression with diminished bat speed. You can't tell me, though, that if Dipoto and Hollander had a full budget (like $170M that they should've been allowed) that Suarez would've been sent packing for an unproven reliever and a below-average backup catcher.
Geno posted a 30.8% strikeout rate with just a .391 slugging percentage, I get it, they wanted to cut back on strikeouts. Just like Teo, Geno was one of the biggest strikeout producers in the game in 2023. He still posted an above average wRC+ (102), and with his elite defense, he was a 3.2 fWAR guy.
Letting Geno go to join former Mariner, Paul Sewald, for the defending NL Pennant winning Diamondbacks, in hopes of getting better production at third base is fine logic. To send him away in what we know was a salary dump is just so disappointing as a fan. We all love Geno's good vibes and hope that he continues them with the Diamondbacks, once again making ownership eat Crow for being cheapskates.
Mariners player fans will be thrilled to see gone: Mike Ford
This might be an unpopular opinion. Let me clear the air by saying Mike Ford was a very big bright spot for the team in 2023. When the Mariners weren't getting production out of guys like Teo, Geno, and even Julio, Ford stepped up in a big way and during some stretches carried this team.
For a DH position that was a black hole for quite a few years after Nelson Cruz left, Mike Ford gave the Mariners very solid production. In 2023, he put up a solid 123 wRC+ with 16 home runs in just 84 games; he was regularly coming up with big home runs in clutch moments. He carried a struggling lineup that became so strikeout heavy, causing a lot of ups and downs.
Strikeouts were a big part of Ford's game as well, as he struck out 32.3% of the time in 2023 and that is just not something that the Mariners can have in their lineup again. If they were to come into the 2024 season with Mike Ford penciled in as the everyday DH, it would've been a failed offseason. I love Mike Ford, but when you are a team aspiring to win a World Series, you have to make the upgrades from a guy like Ford to a guy like Mitch Garver. Fans will be glad to see him gone, strictly for the improvement and level of production they will see out of the DH position this year.