3 Options for the Mariners at 3rd Base if Luis Urias is Hurt

While the vibes have been high and the team has looked impressive so far in the early stages of spring training, not all is well in Peoria. On Tuesday, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (paywall) wrote about some of the injuries that have popped up this spring already. While the potential injury result of rising star reliever Matt Brash could have the biggest impact on the team, the issues with winter acquisition Luis Urías could be the most disappointing.

Urías, a potential star infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers as recently as 2021 and arguably even in 2022, was acquired by the Mariners after a rough go in 2023 that saw him split time between the Brewers and Red Sox. Hoping to bounce back at only 26 years old and in a platoon role at 3B, a shoulder injury has Urías looking like a lock to enter the season on the IL. To add more salt to the wound, it was reported by Divish that Urías showed up to Spring Training in “less-than-stellar shape” after a pretty lackluster performance this winter in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.

For a guy whose once-promising career appears on the brink, this is a pretty brutal double whammy for Urías. It's hard to fathom him being healthy enough to make the necessary throws from 3rd base, which could have major repercussions on Seattle's lineup and defense going into a make-or-break season. 

With that said, here are 3 options at 3B, considering the Luis Urías news.

Option #2: Move Polanco to 3rd and/or give the young guns a chance

When the Seattle Mariners traded four pieces to the Minnesota Twins for Jorge Polanco, the focus on the deal was acquiring a potential all-star caliber bat, not a gold glover. While Polanco is considered a slightly below-average defender, his ability to play both second base and third may prove to be extremely valuable.

If Josh Rojas ends up reverting to his 2023 Arizona numbers, and the backups are playing like backups, then Seattle may need to make some tough decisions by the first month plus of the season. This also likely means that Seattle will decide (be forced) to give some of the young talented prospects in their system an early shot.

In this scenario, there are a few routes Seattle could take. The most obvious move would be calling up Ryan Bliss to play 2nd base. Bliss had an extremely productive run after joining the Mariners in Tacoma and dominated in the AFL. Watch some of his tape and it doesn't take long for him to not remind you of a certain arch-rival 2nd baseman in Houston. Altuve has put up Hall of Fame caliber numbers (cheater), so the comparison is unfair, but the speed and aggression are there for Bliss.

While Bliss would likely be the man in this aggressive scenario, don't be stunned if at some point we see Polanco stay or go back to 2nd base, while the M’s call up promising prospect Tyler Locklear, who can play both infielder corners, or maybe even super prospect Cole Young.

Dipoto in a recent interview discussed how excited they are about these two guys, and how they may be closer to the Show than people think. Judging by what we saw from Cole Young so far in Spring Training, the future may be the present.

Option #3: Take a leap of faith, sign Matt Cha...

While Bliss, Locklear, and Young have looked tremendous so far, it's important to remember that they are still in the infancy stages of their careers, and have combined for just 23 ABs in Spring Training so far. Jerry Dipoto, love him or hate him, has built a team that has been successful the past three seasons, and they are close to breaking through. He also has stated countless times he wants to be a consistent winner, much like the Braves and Dodgers.

By not rushing guys like Young, Locklear, and Bliss, you're putting them in a better position to succeed, even if there's a real chance they are ready early. In our third option, we push for the Mariners to protect their prospects and future, instead, bringing Matt Chapman to Seattle... at least that was the case when originally writing this article.

SoDo Mojo has done a fantastic job of breaking down the pros and cons of signing Matt Chapman, but it's important to understand the context now that we're in the 9th inning of the free agency period. First, Urías has forced the team's hand. Even with his triple yesterday, he's not going to play DH and he can't even throw more than 70 feet right now. 

Lastly, this team is so close, they may already be there. When the offseason started, many thought that the Mariners needed to make huge splashes to have a chance to make a run. The Mariners are going to need to go out and do something at third base, otherwise they risk starting the seasons behind the proverbial eight-ball before it even starts.