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4 Free Agent Bats That May End Up In Seattle
With the exception of a relatively unknown player by the name of Shohei Ohtani, this year's free agent class isn't quite as alluring as last year's. Nonetheless, there are still some valuable position players that could significantly bolster the Mariners' relatively weak lineup.
The Seattle Mariners were right about league-average when it came to hitting this season. They posted a team OPS of .734 (16th in MLB) and the qualified player with the lowest OPS+ was Ty France, whose .703 OPS was equated to a 99 OPS+. Other than Julio Rodriguez and J.P. Crawford, the team's bats are satisfactory but in a competitive AL West division, Seattle will need all the help they can get to overtake the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros in 2024. Here are some names that could do just that.
1. J.D Martinez
The position that was the least stable for the Mariners all year was DH. Until the arrival of Mike Ford, it seemed like a revolving door that chewed up and spit out the likes of Tommy La Stella (.530 OPS), AJ Pollock (.547 OPS), and Taylor Trammell (.612 OPS). Even Ford saw his own offensive output regress steadily over the course of the season to gradually approach league-average.
J.D. Martinez is one possible answer to this problem. A pure DH for the past several years, he had a great 2023 run with the Los Angeles Dodgers, slashing .271/.321/.572, hitting 27 doubles and 33 home runs. He's a bit of a strikeout risk, punching out 31.1% of the time (9th percentile) and whiffing 34.4% of the time (7th percentile) but his average exit velocity of 93.4mph (98th percentile) is exceptional, especially given his age.
The Mariners are rumored to be interested in Martinez but given the fact that Robert Van Scoyoc, one of the men responsible for saving Martinez's career as a major-leaguer, will likely maintain his role as the hitting coach for the Dodgers, it might be hard to pry Martinez away. If the Dodgers end up giving Martinez an even slightly competitive offer, chances are he'll decide to stay in Los Angeles.
2. Justin Turner
The man who was replaced by J.D. Martinez in Los Angeles is, funnily enough, also a viable DH candidate. Justin Turner was an RBI machine for the Boston Red Sox this season, logging 96 RBI along with 31 doubles and 23 home runs. He was well-rounded at the plate, slashing .276/.345/.455 for an OPS of .800 and an OPS+ of 114.
His batting profile is the opposite of Martinez's, focusing on making contact consistently rather than maximizing power and exit velocity. His whiff and strikeout rates were 17.5% and 17.6% respectively, both figures in the upper quartile of MLB. His quality of contact did decline from his 2022 season with the Dodgers but was still good enough to keep his batting run value at 21 (86th percentile).
Justin Turner would be a great offensive addition and a good veteran leader in the clubhouse. However, the 1 year/$15 million contract he signed does have a player option for 2024 so he might not even be available if he decides to stay in Boston.
3. Joc Pederson
Joining the long list of current and former Dodgers DHs that are available on the free agent market, Joc Pederson is coming off of a down-year in 2023 that was a less-impressive version of his 2022 campaign in almost every way. He was still able to post a .764 OPS and a 111 OPS+ but was unable to salvage a pathetic San Francisco Giants offense in the second half.
His hitter profile is reminiscent of Kyle Schwarber, although much more balanced. His average exit velocity of 92.1mph is in the 91st percentile and his hard-hit rate of 52.2% is in the 96th percentile. He's also got some of the best plate discipline in the sport, boasting a 13.4% walk rate to complement his power.
Despite his clear ability to hit the ball hard, he hit just 15 home runs and 14 doubles this year, a surprisingly low number of extra base hits. He's actually a good example of the importance of expected stats, as his 2023 xwOBA of .368 is almost identical to his 2022 xwOBA of .367, meaning his actual figures may be underselling his value as a hitter.
After the firing of manager Gabe Kapler and two dissapointing seasons for the San Francisco Giants, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise for Pederson to seek more stable surroundings as he enters his 30s. Seattle might be a good long-term place for him if he's able to keep up his ability to swing a bat.
4. Jorge Soler
In his best full-season since 2019, Joge Soler slashed .250/.341/.512 for an OPS of .853, good enough for his first-ever all-star appearance. He had the second most RBI on the Marlins at 75, just three shy of his teammate Bryan De La Cruz and hit 36 home runs and 24 doubles.
To put it simply, Soler hits the ball hard (91.4mph average EV), strikes out a lot (24.5%), and walks a good amount (11.3%). He'd undoubtedly introduce some much needed power to the Seattle lineup and could fill in at either DH or RF. This means he'd likely be competing for Teoscar Hernandez's current spot on the team and given Hernandez's own impending free agency, could serve as an upgrade.
Soler does have a $13.5 million 2024 player option and with the Marlins playoff appearance (despite it being incredibly short and sad), he might have a good reason to exercise it. Teoscar's one-year contract was for $14 million so it's also possible that the front office is able to outcompete Miami's current offer and bring Soler to the PNW instead.