FanSided

3 things the Mariners MUST do this offseason if they want to contend in 2024

The Mariners have a very solid roster. They have spent the last 2 off-seasons trying to fix a couple of glaring holes. What does Jerry and Co. need to do this offseason? We look at 3 things that they must do to contend for a playoff spot.

By Tanner Vogt |
Texas Rangers v Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers v Seattle Mariners / Steph Chambers/GettyImages
1 of 4
Next

I believe that Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners know what they need to do this offseason. In fact, I think that they have known this for the last couple of years, really since the offseason before the 2022 season. Before Logan Gilbert and George Kirby broke out in 2022, they had some major needs in the rotation, they needed a big-time bat in the outfield, and they needed someone to give them at least average production at second base.

What did they do in the 2021-22 offseason? They signed Robby Ray, traded for Jesse Winker, and traded for Adam Frazer. They followed that up with acquiring Luis Castillo at the 2022 trade deadline. Obviously, Frazier and Winker didn't work out, but with those 2 acquisitions and the development of Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, they had a very solid rotation.

They still had some issues in the lineup, so what did they do in 2023? Well, they went out and acquired Teoscar Hernandez, Kolten Wong, and AJ Pollock. Do you see the theme here? Dipoto and the front office people know the weaknesses; they just haven't exactly hit on the players that they have identified. If Winker was in 2022 what he was in 2021, or Teo was in 2023 what he was in 2022, this offense is so much better!

I think that Dipoto knows what he needs to do to make this team better. They have either just invested in the wrong player, or been about 1 or 2 players short of really going for it. This is the offseason that reality sets in. Dipoto and Hollander know the issues with the way that this roster is constructed, and I truly think that they know how to fix it. Will they be aggressive enough? Will they have the financial flexibility to do this? Well, this offseason will be an entertaining one and one that will show us where Dipoto, Hollander, and John Stanton stand with this Mariners team.

Minimum 2 bats that are at least 15% above league average.

The way that this was constructed just proved that they were not good enough to win a division, let alone make the playoffs. Teoscar Hernandez was the big addition coming off a 130 wRC+ season, he was pretty average with a 105 wRC+.
They followed that move up with Kolten Wong and AJ Pollock. Good additional pieces, but pretty uninspiring pieces if you ask me.

We are assuming Teoscar Hernandez is going to be gone this offseason, so there is an immediate need for a starting corner outfielder. The Mariners also had a revolving door of DH batters including Tommy La Stella, Cooper Hummel, Mike Ford, and even guys like Sam Haggerty. That just can't happen again this year. You have too much talent and there are too many options to not address this need. You must acquire at a bare minimum 2 regular, everyday bats that are at least 15% above league average. This does not include bench bats that play in 70-100 games. This is everyday players that will have 500+ plate appearances.

There are options to get some big-time free-agent bats like Shohei Ohtani (180 wRC+), Cody Bellinger (134 wRC+), and Mitch Garver (138 wRC+). Or you could look to trade for guys like Spencer Steer (118 wRC+), and Josh Lowe (131 wRC+). There are even more underrated bats like Brandon Belt (138 wRC+). These all fill a serious position of need at a fairly easy position to upgrade, corner outfielder, and a DH. There are numerous other guys that could fit this bill. Regardless, 2+ bats in this range should be the minimum expectation.

Acquire at least 1 legit, high leverage bullpen arm.

Going back to the days of the rebuild, the Mariner's bullpen has been a perennial strength of the team. They have developed "quad A" guys, waiver claims, and 30+ year-old relievers to be solid, if not, spectacular, relievers for a young Mariners team. At this point, I think that this has shown that they can develop these borderline roster guys into serious contributors.

Even with the impressive ability to develop bullpen talent, the Mariners need stability. They need a proven guy in the back of their bullpen. This free agency class has some interesting arms, veterans that could be had at a good price, and are solid high-leverage guys. I immediately see Reynaldo Lopez, Joe Jimenez, Matt Moore, and even guys like Ryne Stanek or Robert Stephenson.

Those first 2 guys on that list will probably fetch a 2- or 3-year deal in the $10 million AAV range, while Moore will be on a 1-year deal maybe around $5-$8 million. The other guys are probably $4-$6 million. There is definitely some good value here. While the Mariners will most certainly make their "Justin Topa, Gabe Speier, Trevor Gott" type moves, they would be wise to add another solid to high high-leverage arm.

Get some insurance at the corners

Coming into 2023, the Mariners had a pretty solid pairing at their corner infield. Geno was coming off a 130 wRC+ year which included 31 home runs and a .459 slugging percentage. Ty France produced a 125 wRC+ with a .436 slugging percentage and a career-high 20 home runs. They were both duds offensively this year. France produced a 104 wRC+ with 12 home runs and a miserable .366 slugging percentage. Geno was still worth 3.2 wins according to fWAR but most of that came on the defensive side of the ball as offensively he was only slightly above average with a 102 wRC+. He hit 22 home runs, the fewest since 2016, not counting the COVID-shortened year. He slugged a putrid .391 compared to his career average. Geno played in 162 games this year, something that he was very proud of, but that should never happen again.

Some free agents to keep an eye out for here include Donovan Solano, Brandon Belt, Justin Turner, Adam Duvall, Rhys Hoskins, and Mitch Garver. Some potential guys the Mariners could explore in the trade market include guys like Spencer Steer, Anthony Santander, Nolan Gorman, Jordan Westsburg,

This has to be a huge goal for the Mariners this offseason. They had no one that could play a competent third base to give Geno a true day off. The Mariners backup first baseman, Mike Ford, is more of a DH and was really hot and cold. Getting someone who can either rotate between these 2 positions and at least fake it for 15 games is a must for this team. If this team wants to be serious contenders for a division title and potential World Series, they need to add someone who can give these guys a day off that won't kill you, and potentially take over at one of these positions full-time if either Geno or Ty produce another dud.

Next
Home / Mariners Rumors

Schedule