Have the Mariners had the best offseason in the AL West?

The Mariners offseason has been a pretty disappointing one; it's been filled with salary dumps, RSN news, and only 1 or 2 solid additions, it definitely leaves Mariners fans wanting more. The team made it clear that they wanted to cut back on the strikeouts and look to improve the overall floor of this team.

The losses of three key parts of the lineup (Jarred Kelenic, Teoscar Hernandez, Eugenio Suarez) leave this team still needing to add another bat or two. They have also lost rotational depth in Marco Gonzales (traded to the Braves with Kelenic).

The best addition the Mariners have had this offseason is DH, Mitch Garver, who should add a significant presence to the middle of the lineup and give the Mariners the best DH they have had since Nelson Cruz. The still have work to do after the Garver signing, but this team is on their way to being in a better place than last year's team. While the Mariners haven't made many sizeable additions to the team, the best thing for them and their chances in 2024, might be the losses that other teams have suffered.

Astros - C

Additions - Victor Caratini, Dylan Coleman, Oliver Ortega

Subtractions - Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, Michael Brantley, Martin Maldonado

The Astros have had a pretty quiet offseason, only making three additions, the most notable being catcher Victor Cartini. Caratini is a solid hitting catcher, but only played in 62 games last year; after losing Maldonado to free agency, Cartini is a solid backup option. The Astros don't have many needs, but they could stand to add some pitching.

The two biggest losses (though, it's still possible they resign with the Astros) are Maton and Stanek. Maton was a solid reliever last year throwing 66 innings, with a 3.00 and really solid walk and strikeout numbers (10.1 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9). Stanek, who is not expected to return, threw 50 2/3 innings with a 4.09 ERA (in 2022 it was 1.15) while posting solid walk and strikeout numbers as well (9.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9). For a team that is expected to compete for the division title, losing these two arms is a big blow.

The Astros still have one of the best offenses in baseball with a solid rotation led by Justin Verlander, so losing a backup catcher and a couple of bullpen arms shouldn't kill them. They could have added a solid reliever, and it would've made up for the Stanek and Maton losses, but the Astros haven't botched this offseason.

Athletics - Who really cares?

Additions - Trevor Gott, Osvaldo Bido, Abraham Toro, Miguel Andujar

Subtractions - Trevor May, Tony Kemp

The Athletics weren't expected to do much last season, posting the worst record in baseball. They were expected to do nothing but shed money and add guys on Minor League contracts. They added a solid reliever in Trevor Gott who could be an interesting arm come the trade deadline. They also added another former Mariner, Abraham Toro, who could give them some at-bats as a utility infielder. An interesting move was the addition of once-promising third baseman, Miguel Andujar. Andujar was a solid up-and-coming corner infielder for the Yankees, after finishing 2nd in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2018, but he hasn't been able to replicate that success.

They did lose a solid reliever in Trevor May who ended up retiring (which is unfortunate, I thought he would be a solid option for the Mariners). They also lost Tony Kemp who has been a pest for the Mariners over stints with the Athletics and the Astros.

Overall, it's a pretty boring offseason for the Athletics. It has gone about as anyone should expect (they could still ditch a few guys making over $1 million a year). Their offseason has no real effect on the rest of the division and I don't really pay it any mind.

Rangers - D-

Additions - Carson Coleman, Kirby Yates, Tyler Mahle, Diego Castillo

Subtractions - Jordan Montgomery, Mitch Garver, Chris Stratton, Travis Jankowski, Austin Hedges, Aroldis Chapman, Jake Ordorizzi, Brad Miller, Robbie Grossman, Martin Perez, Will Smith, Ian Kennedy, Brett Martin, Matt Bush

The defending World Series champions were expected to retain a lot of the group that propelled them to their championship. They still could, but they are also expected to work under a tighter budget. The Mariners took Mitch Garver from them, they are likely to be priced out of the Jordan Montgomery services and have lost a couple of decent bullpen options, for a bullpen that was already pretty weak.

They did add Tyler Mahle, a high-upside starting pitcher, but he is expected to miss the first part of the year. Kirby Yates is a solid bullpen addition, again, for a bullpen that was pretty bad. They also lost Martin Perez, a solid back of the rotation arm that would've been valuable for a team dealing with a lot of injuries.

The Rangers have arguably had the worst offseason of the three teams expected to contend for the division title. With the loss of Garver, Montgomery, Chapman, Perez, paired with the news that Max Scherzer will be out until midseason due to a herniated disk, the Rangers could look like a very different team. They still have the firepower with Seger, Semien, Garcia and Lowe, but this offseason hasn't been kind to the Rangers.

Mariners - C

Additions - Luis Urias, Mitch Garver, Blake Hunt, Carlos Vargas, Seby Zavala, Jackson Kowar

Subtractions - Riley O'Brien, Isaiah Campbell, Eugenio Suarez, Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales, Teoscar Hernandez, Evan White

It has certainly been a disappointing offseason for Mariners fans. With many of us expecting ownership to start shelling out some cash, we were met with salary dumps and a tighter budget due to RSN issues. The Mariners have lost three players that hit in the middle of the lineup in Suarez, Kelenic, Teoscar, and a solid bullpen option in Isaiah Campbell.

The Mariners first move of the offseason was the addition of Luis Urias and it looked solid on the surface but was met with the Mariners dumping Geno's contract. In that trade the Mariners added a decent backup catcher in Seby Zavala and a high upside reliever in Carlos Vargas. The Mariners finally made their big move in getting Mitch Garver to be the everyday DH.

This team still has a lot of holes and I am not confident that they are a better team that last years squad. With one or two more moves (mainly in the corner outfield spots) they could really start to put themselves in the conversation for the best team in the division.

Final Verdict

The Mariners have had the best offseason so far and you might disagree but hear me out. They lost Teoscar Hernandez, an average bat, below average defender and a guy that has declined every year for the last 3 years. They lost Eugenio Suarez, an older player who showed some serious signs of regression (significantly slower bat speed) and regressed to be about an average bat.

You added Luis Urias who was a 2.5-win player and a 110 wRC+ or better for back-to-back seasons. He controls the zone very well, doesn't strike out and could very well replicate Geno's production. You also added Mitch Garver, a career 123 wRC+, with really solid walk and strikeout rates. Garver put up a 2.1 fWAR last year in only 87 games. With the Mariners planning to strictly play him at DH if he can play 120-130 games, he could more than make up the production you lost.

The Astros haven't added much but lost two solid bullpen arms. The Angels lost the best player in the world while adding an injured first baseman and not much else. The Rangers may have had the worst offseason after losing one of their best starting pitchers to free agency, another one for half the year to injury and one of their best bats to the Mariners.