Early Season Mariners Musings: Three Quick Fixes

We are more than a month into the 2023 campaign, 35 games. There’s still a crowd of Twitterites who are calling for massive moves, ranging from trading Teoscar Hernandez to moving superstar Julio Rodriguez (more on that later). In addition, there are a few small moves the President of Baseball Operations, Jerry Dipoto, and General Manager, Justin Hollander, could make to right the ship. However, in this edition of Mariner Musings, we’ll stick to Manager Scott Servais’ wheelhouse, outlining three minor moves he can make to steady the season.

Move #1: J.P. Crawford, New Leadoff Hitter

The past two weeks, we’ve seen J.P. Crawford produce at a level far better than your average bottom-of-the-lineup hitter. He has come through in critical spots, time and time again, even when the rest of the lineup is pressing. With all the handwringing about the team’s ineptitude in base-loaded situations, Crawford is the only one delivering (4-5, 10 RBI).

Crawford’s work with Driveline during the offseason pays big dividends, as the 28-year-old shortstop is back to using the entire field. He’s also on pace for career highs in average exit velocity (90.4), hard-hit rate (36.7), and walk rate (18). That sure seems like the blueprint for a perfect leadoff hitter.

It’s about time to push Julio Rodriguez down and slide everyone down a spot in the lineup. Get the team’s OBP leader (.378) those extra at-bats, take the added pressure off the scuffling 22-year-old, and put it on the Mariners’ emotional leader. He’s proven he can handle it.

Move #2: Send Sam Haggerty to Tacoma

Everyone loves Sam Haggerty, and I understand. But Servais isn’t using him against left-handed pitching, and he isn’t utilizing his speed late in games. Additionally, the second base platoon of Kolten Wong and Jose Caballero is starting to find solid ground. Caballero, an unphased rookie, has shown versatility to play second, short, and third base in his short stint with the team. Wong’s last ten games include a .303/.361/.421 slash line with a big knock against the Astros this past weekend.

It pains me to say this, but Haggerty doesn’t have a role on this team right now. So the corresponding move is calling up veteran first baseman and designated hitter Mike Ford. The lefty-swinging slugger is leading all minor league baseball in runs batted in (45) and is more than capable of anchoring the bottom third of the lineup.

Move #3: More “Then” in the Pen

If it seems like Juan Then has been a Mariner forever, it’s true. The team signed the slender Dominican to an international free-agent contract at the tender age of sixteen. The now 23-year-old has overcome injuries, the COVID-19 year, a switch from starter to reliever, and poor command to develop into a possible dynamic weapon out of the pen. The sample size is small, but in his first two innings of work, Then has induced a 44% whiff rate utilizing a 99 mph fastball, a slider, and a devasting changeup (a la Luis Castillo) to generate weak contact.

With Andres Munoz still on the shelf, this team needed another high-leverage arm to bridge the gap to closer Paul Sewald. Then might be the guy to help lock down the middle of games for Servais.