3 options for the Mariners to deal with their Ty France problem

I truly hoped we wouldn't be here this season, but there was always a part of me that wondered if it was going to happen. Ty France is really struggling for the Mariners, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Throughout the offseason, we all saw that he was putting in work at Driveline, and the hope was that it would re-invigorate his swing, leading to the Ty France of old who could be a .300 hitter.

Well, it hasn't happened. In fact, this is the worst Ty France that we have seen at the plate so far. He's slashing .236/.284/.357, good for an OPS+ of 87. His strikeout rate, while not terrible, is still 6.7% higher than the last three seasons. His BB rate has dropped as well, by 1.1%. You can't even blame bad luck, as he still has a .287 BABIP. The only bright spot is that he is hitting the ball a little bit harder, as his exit velo and hard hit rate have risen by 1.1 mph and 4.6%, respectively.

Here's the thing. You can't be doing that as a first baseman, especially as a slow one (France ranks 397th out of 418th), and a bad defender. This team already struggles on offense, and you can't have one of your power/impact positions performing as a negative across all aspects of the game. France has had some big moments recently, like the 12-pitch AB against the Orioles as well as a late RBI single against the Yankees, but is still hitting .226/.262/.371 in the month of May.

What can the Mariners do about it? Let's take a look at three options they have for their Ty France problem.