Mariners are looking for their new third baseman to bring it back to his Brewers' days

If you went out and asked Mariners fans, third base is likely the position that they still have the biggest question about. Eugenio Suarez brought the vibes, but as much as it hurts to say it, he was a negative at the plate in 2023. He had a 101 OPS+, but between the low BA, sub 400 SLG, and leading the league in strikeouts just doesn't cut it for the person who is supposed to be your power hitter and Julio Rodriguez protector.

With Geno traded away, the Mariners had to find someone new to man the position. Enter Luis Urias. I'll admit, I wasn't excited about this move when it first happened. I didn't know a ton about him, and sort of forgot that he was in Milwaukee before going to Boston.

Luis Urias looks to step up for the Mariners in 2024 as the new hot corner holder

Trivia time. Who had a higher WAR, Eugenio Suarez in 2022+2023 or Luis Urias in 2021+2022? I would've answered Geno, and I would think that most people would. We would all be wrong. Geno had a 3.9 and a 2.3. Urias had a 3.3 and a 3.1. It was close, but Urias outscored him 6.4-6.2. WAR isn't an end all be all, but it's still an important indicator of how good he was those two years.

He doesn't have the power that Geno does. He also doesn't strike out nearly as often as Geno. While Geno led the league in Ks both seasons at a 31.0% rate. Urias, during those two Milwaukee seasons, struck out at a 20.6% rate. It's a massive difference. Even in his injured year last year, he struck out just 23.2% of the time. He does have some power, though, barely trailing Geno at a HR rate of 3.7% to 4.0%.

A lot of this is dependant on if we are going to get that Urias, or the one from Boston. He struggled, but just like Geno with his shoulder in Cinci, it sounds like that isn't the type of player that we should be expecting. A healthy Urias should be a 3.0 WAR player, and if that's what the Mariners are going to get at third, it's a great addition when you consider that the Mariners were able to get him for a middling reliever. I like Isaiah Campbell, but if they are getting the Milwaukee Urias, it's a massive win.

Urias has some high expectations, but Mariners fans are quickly going to fall in love with him and back him if he is able to put up a season in line with the .244/.340/.426 and 20 HR and good defense, then 2024 is going to be a lot of fun for the Mariners.