Shohei Ohtani is the prize of the off-season. Who wouldn't love the 2021 and 2023 AL MVP on their team? Arguably, the greatest player of the modern generation. There's no reason to sugarcoat, Shohei is a man among boys. When was the last time a player of this caliber hit the market? Never. When was the last time a franchise had this big of a media frenzy? Ichiro, with the 2001 Mariners. The truth is, Shohei Ohtani is the best thing since sliced bread. The truth of the matter... He costs too much for the Mariners.
The Mariners are a team on the rise. Full of starting pitching, the envy of every team in MLB. With a rotation featuring Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert on the front end, teams in the league would pay a premium for that three-headed monster in the playoffs. The highly regarded prospects Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller are rounding out the Mariners rotations. Both have been named in trade rumors for Juan Soto.
Blake Snell, a Washington native and 2x Cy Young winner in both the American and National League with the Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres, is a get for any team. The Mariners need to go full blitz for Blake Snell. Although the Cy Young winner had his fair share of walks, the Mariners have proved to maximize pitching. Coming home to Washington, Blake Snell would add another Cy Young winner to the Mariners rotation. Fellow Cy Young winner Robbie Ray is also on staff and slated to potentially come back around the 2024 all-star break. With Luis Castillo and George Kirby putting up fierce campaign fronts for future Cy Young awards.
The reason the Mariners need to sign Blake Snell is simple. A high-end free agent has expressed interest in signing with the team. Seattle has a history of being a hard place to sign free agents. Signing Blake Snell checks a couple of boxes. The elephant in the room, ownership makes goodwill with the fanbase signing a high-end free agent. Blake Snell allows the team to sign a player from a position of strength while enabling a trade of Bryan Woo or Bryce Miller for a player like Juan Soto. The signing also proves ownership is willing to spend money,... on premier talent. Blake Snell adds to Seattle's stable of riches, a stable full of Aces.
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Outside of Shohei Ohtani, the hot stove is cooking for another Japanese player, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Having been the Ace of the NPB and 3x consecutive winner of the Sawamura Award, Yamamoto is on the front burner for most teams. The Mariners need Yamamoto for a couple of reasons. A rotation of Castillo, Kirby, Gilbert, Snell, and Yamamoto, of any order going into the season instantly puts the Mariners at the top of the pitching hierarchy of MLB.
The reason the Mariners need both Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is quite evident, If the Mariners signed only Ohtani, the team handicaps itself because of his massive contract. Which could handcuff the team in the future. Signing both aces allows, which in theory would cost the same, if not less of Ohtani's contract, to field a 5 headed monster in the rotation but allows the Mariners to trade Marco Gonzales along with Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, Walter Ford, and other prospect for needs such as bats.
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