Could Luke Raley close the M's revolving door in left field?

The Mariners traded from a position of strength when they shipped pesky utilityman Jose Caballero to Tampa Bay for Luke Raley, an intriguing athlete with a power-speed combination. The 29-year-old Raley flourished in 2023 for the Rays and became a valuable player despite some prominent warts in his profile.

Raley logged 118 games last season, a career-high since his major league debut in 2021. The traditional stats look great if we discuss manager Scott Servais plugging him into a platoon role. However, two critical data points, specifically the ones on the far right of the table below, must match the organizational philosophy. That will take a concerted effort from Raley to forego some power for contact.

One of the exciting things about Raley's game is the ability to barrel the ball (84th percentile) despite the swing-and-miss. He also hits the ball with authority and crushes right-handed pitching, as evidenced by launching 17 of his 19 homers off righties. Raley was a breakout star for the Rays last season amassing 2.6 WAR and second-tier American League outfielder ranking 8th in OPS (.824).

There's a good chance Servais will start Raley in left field on opening day, but a platoon should be looming. Whether using Dylan Moore, Sam Haggerty, or someone not on the roster yet, there are options to protect Raley from overexposure. In a perfect world, Raley gets about 300 to 350 at-bats handling the corner outfield spots and a few starts at first to spell Ty France. That positional flexibility will surely help Servais keep his outfielders fresh. Even superstar Julio Rodriguez could get some designated hitter days because Raley ranks in the high 80th percentile in both arm strength and sprint speed making handling centerfield a pinch.

The Mariners' revolving door of left fielders is a cast of characters ranging from Milton Bradley to James Jones to Jarred Kelenic. Odds are Raley won't be the last one out there, but if he play 70% of the games in the corners, it could be a massive catalyst for a suddenly deep Mariner lineup. Oh, and it would help Mariner fans forget about a decade of failed experiments in the left field grass.