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5 replacements for the Mariners after the Ty France injury news
The Ty France injury news is unfortunate, but the Mariners still have options, and here are 5 replacements they could look to make
After a disappointing 2023 season that saw many Mariners fans calling for Ty France's job, including me. After visiting the magical offensive fix, Driveline baseball, expectations were pretty high for France as many fans were hoping the slugger would revert back to the 2021 and 2022 version of Ty France.
The beginning of the year was a tough one for France and the rest of the Mariners' offense as they trudged through the Month of April as one of the worst offenses in baseball. The offense started to turn things around and France was a big driving force in that. Over the last 30 games, France was hitting .248/.345/.455 with five home runs and 19 RBI. France was a big part of this offense clicking and Servais rewarded him by continuously placing him in the four-hole.
The Mariners were dealt terrible news as France was hit by a pitch (a big part of his game and the subject of controversy) that would prove to be a massive blow. France was hit on the foot, and it resulted in a heel fracture, landing him on the injured list and it seems like he will miss quite a bit of time. The team called up Tyler Locklear to hopefully fill in for France in a similar way Ryan Bliss has provided a nice spark in place of Jorge Polanco.
With Locklear just making his debut, should the team explore external options or let the former second round pick get a solid run at the job? Locklear has dominated in the minor leagues, but the Mariners could look for more proven offense. If they do, let's take a look at some of the options that Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander could explore.
The obvious option: A slugging top prospect
As most Mariners' fans are aware now, Tyler Locklear has made his debut and came up with a big double in his first game. Locklear has been a fast mover through the minor leagues as he dominated pretty much every level. A move from third to first base full-time, allowed Locklear to really focus on the offense and skyrocket through the Mariners system.
Locklear started the year in Double-A Arkansas before being moved to Triple-A Tacoma for just 10 games. I am sure Dipoto would have liked to see more time in Tacoma, but that was cut short due to the France injury news. In 51 games in the minor leagues this year, Locklear slashed .293/.404/.520 with nine home runs. Locklear has shown an advanced approach and looks like someone who can really manage the strike zone.
Locklear is an older prospect and someone that could really provide some offense for the Mariners down the stretch. I really like his approach and ability to limit strikeouts while hitting for some power (a combination that the Mariners have struggled with in recent years). If Locklear can claim the first base position, it would address a lot of concerns for this offense.
Another obvious option: One of the hottest Mariners players, but he may be better suited in the outfield
As the team expects Locklear to fill in for France, there are still doubts given the lack of experience above the Double-A level. This is where they could turn to one of their hottest players, and someone that has also kickstarted this offense in recent weeks.
Luke Raley has been playing both corner outfield and first base this year. Though he has been relied upon more in the outfield as of late, especially with France's bat really coming alive, Raley could fill in at first base while giving some of their more experienced bats (Canzone and Haniger) an opportunity to get hot. The slugging lefty has cooled off a little in recent days, but in his last 30 games, he is still slashing .280/.343/.516 with six home runs and 13 RBI.
Raley is a sort of Swiss army knife that Servais loves. Raley can fill in at three different spots and could definitely be the answer if someone like Canzone or Haniger get hot and Locklear struggles to adjust to the Major League pitching. But with how comfortable Locklear looks and how bad Canzone and Haniger have been, he might be in the outfield quite a bit.
The expensive, blockbuster move that won't happen
Do you want the Mariners' offense to get better? Sure. Do you want the Mariners to go out and make a big splash for a widely-known name that can add some star power to this lineup? Sure. How much are you willing to spend in prospect capital to do that? The answer should be, "Whatever is necessary, as long as it is within reason". No prospects should be off limits.
The Mariners need to upgrade their offense and they have a few spots to be able to add that offense. Ty France's recent injury gives the Mariners every right to explore a first baseman and there are some big time names on the market.
The most obvious fit is with the Toronto Blue Jays' slugging first baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The cover of MLB The Show has plenty of star power as a well-known name and someone who has put together some very impressive years. But is he really an elite first baseman? I don't think so.
After a monster 2021 season that saw him hit .311/.401/.601 with 48 home runs and 111 RBI, the slugger has struggled to replicate that level of success. He's still a good hitter and would improve the lineup, but considering his name, pedigree and control, he is going to be very expensive. Guerrero Jr will likely demand multiple top 100 prospects and other filler pieces, and I just don't see that happening when you can get similar (and better) production for less prospect capital.
The less expensive, better first baseman that just makes too much sense
On the topic of more production and less prospect capital, let me introduce Christian Walker. Walker is one of the most underrated bats in baseball. Walker is well on pace to slug over 30 home runs for the third consecutive year. He is slashing .256/.344/.455 this year with an elite walk rate (11.3%) and a solid strikeout rate (25.2%). Walker has put up back-to-back four-win seasons (according to Fangraphs). Walker is also a significantly better defender than most other first baseman in baseball, being a two-time Gold Glove winner.
The Diamondbacks and Mariners have made numerous trades throughout the year and seem to lineup as trade partners again. This year, however, roles could be reversed. This year, the Mariners sit squarely in the playoff picture as they lead the AL West and Arizona is four games below .500 and 1.5 games back of the wild card. Sure, they could make a few moves in hopes of making a playoff push, but like the Mariners last year, they could look to sell players with less club control (maybe even Paul Sewald?). Hopefully!
Given Walker's age (33 years old) and the fact that he will be a free agent after this year, the capital to acquire him might not be that of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. I could see a prospect closer to the big leagues like Ben Williamson and another arm like a Michael Morales. They might also be interested in an outfielder like Jonatan Clase to pair with Corbin Carroll if they decide to move off Jake McCarthy. And that is a move I make 100% of the time if I am the Mariners.
The low-cost, unexpected option that could fly under the radar
Remember when we were talking about Luke Raley being that swiss army knife for Scott Servais? This is where it really comes into play. While the Mariners could look to address the Ty France injury with a first baseman, they could also look to add an outfielder, allowing Raley to move to first base more often.
There should be quite a few options out there if Dipoto prefers to go the outfielder route. In that outfielder, the Mariners could opt to target a little bit different player than what they have on their roster. They might not need another middle of the order run producer like France was. How about they add a high contact, athletic outfielder that can steal some bases? I like that plan.
The Mariners and Mets are familiar trade partners, having made one of the bigger trades in either franchise's history, when Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz were sent to New York. They could look to match up again.
As New York enters this weird stage where they have some talent, but not enough, and they have some contracts on the books, they could look to shed some of it. Starling Marte makes perfect sense as a salary dump and a player who could really help the Mariners.
Marte had a tough 2023 season, but in pretty much every other season in his career, he has been an above average player. So far in 2024, he is slashing .280/.329/.421 with six home runs and 10 stolen bases. He has put up a 119 wRC+, and while he's probably not a great defender, he can't be any worse than Mitch Haniger and Dominic Canzone, right? He adds a different element to this Mariners team as someone who doesn't strike out (21.1%) and can steal some bases, while hitting for a high average. He could slot in nicely behind JP or at the back of the lineup.
Marte is owed $20.75 million this year and next year. With the remainder of the 2024 season and all of the 2024 season, it would probably be somewhere around $25 or $26 million total. There's no way the Mariners take on that whole salary, but the Mets could afford to eat a chunk of it and the prospect that the Mariners sent back would be dependent on that amoun. This wouldn't be a huge prospect cost for the Mariners and could allow them to still make another move, but this could prove to be a very underrated and valuable move for Seattle.
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