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MLB Trade Rumors thinks these 3 players may be signing with the Mariners in Free Agency
MLB Free Agency is officially underway for the 2023/24 offseason. Here are the 3 players that MLB Trade Rumors (MLBTR) thinks could be coming to the Mariners
It's finally here. Some people think of this time of year as even more exciting than the Regular Season itself. Free Agency can do that to some people, as you daydream about what your team might possibly do to improve for the next season, telling yourself that "if they could just sign..." then they'd for sure be a contender for the World Series. It doesn't always happen, but it's still something we enjoy predicting and wishing for... especially us Mariners fans.
I have to admit, i love the offseason and the whole nine yards that surround Free Agency. I like reading (and writing) about the rumors as they fly around and to see if the Mariners are involved in any of them. Are the Mariners finally (FINALLY?!?!?!) going to spend in Free Agency? With this team seemingly closer than it's been since the 116 win season back in 2001, could they get off of that awful list of teams to never play in the World Series?
That's where today's article gets started, as we head over to MLB Trade Rumors to take a look at their top 50 Free Agents piece, in which they also list out their predictions for where each Free Agent is going to sign. They have three writers go through the top 50 and predict where each are going to sign. Let's see what they have to say about which Free Agents might be coming to Seattle.
Here are the 3 Free Agents that MLB Trade Rumors think are going to the Mariners
Darragh McDonald: Mariners will sign Lourdes Gurriel Jr to a 4YR/$54M contract
I think this might be the top realistic Free Agent that I want the Mariners to sign. He plays decent enough defense, likely just above average, which would be a massive improvement over what we got from Teoscar Hernandez last season.
Gurriel is pretty good on offense also. Even though it was his worst offensive season since his rookie year, he still put up a 108 OPS+ in 145 games with Arizona. He doesn't walk very often, but his K rate is literally less than have the amount as Teo (211 v 103). With just a 17.7% K rate the last three seasons, it would be a big upgrade over what we saw last year.
He's been consistent in the WAR department, posting marks of 3.0, 2.6, 2.2, and 3.0 the last four seasons. While not as powerful as Teo, he still hit 24 homers and 35 2Bs for Arizona in 2023. With the potential for decent defense, 20+ homers, a 270 average, 3.0 WAR, and at around $14M a year, I think Darragh makes a good call by putting Gurriel in Seattle.
Anthony Franco: Mariners sign JD Martinez to a 2YR/$40M contract
I wonder if Anthony is taking a trip back in time to last year's offseason this one. You know, the one where JD Martinez was in Seattle, and shared a picture to his Instagram of himself at Pike's Place Market. If only the Mariners would've capitalized on that, maybe they could've signed the seemingly willing Martinez and used his success from 2023.
They likely would've played him a DH a fair amount because of bad defense, but holy cow did the bat play. .271/.321/.572 with 33 HR and 27 2B in just 113 games. That was a 1.9 oWAR and 1.9 WAR overall, and something the Mariners definitely could've used. A year older, the choice now comes to committing to a second year to try and sway JD to Seattle after being in the warm confines of LA last year.
At 36, is it worth paying him that much over two seasons? Possibly. Anthony Franco thinks so. That's not the only player he sees the Mariners potentially signing this offseason.
Anthony Franco: Mariners sign Tim Anderson to a 1YR/$12M contract
This one is interesting. It wasn't that long ago that Tim Anderson won the batting title. He hit .335 in 2019, .322 in 2020, and then .309 and .301 in the two following years. That's a darn good stretch. He does have one of the lowest walk rates in the league, but it seems to be a trade off a lot of the time when it comes to a guy with a high batting average.
2023 was completely different though, as he posted a gross .245/.286/.296 slash line. That's straight up ugly. Was it the new expectation for Anderson, or just a blip in his career? Could he really fall off that badly, and that quick?
It's why a one year deal for Anderson would be really interesting to see. Could he revitalize his career on a team that should be fighting not just for a playoff berth, but a shot at the Division Title? I think Anthony is thinking of the right type of deal here, giving Anderson a chance to prove that he can still hit. If he hits like he did over those four years, imagine the kind of damage he would do on the Mariners.
Sadly, that means that Tim Dierkes doesn't think that a single top 50 FA will be signing with the Mariners. Let's hope he's wrong.