The Mariners Aren't Out of the Shohei Sweepstakes Just Yet

Winning Culture & Upwards Trajectory

This is probably where some of the other contestants have Seattle beat. Still one of the few teams to have never won a World Series and the only team to never have even made it to the main event, the Mariners don't exactly have the rich history of winning that people might think Ohtani is seeking.

However, what Seattle might have more of than others is potential. Despite Jerry Dipoto's depressing comments about the allure of winning "54% of games," it does seem that the front office has been more aggresive over the past few years when it comes to acquiring and retaining talent than before. Julio Rodriguez's contract extension is a a great example. Committing to a 12-year, $209 million contract this early into a player's career was a bold move but it was clearly the correct one giving how he's performed these past two seasons.

The purse strings are still a bit tighter than most fans would hope but there's evidence that they'd come loose for the right names. Luis Castillo signed a five-year, $108 million contract and while it's been a disappointing deal thus far, Robbie Ray was signed for $115 million over five years following his Cy Young campaign in 2021.

As stated earlier, money is not the primary concern on Ohtani's mind, but if management wants to commit to building a solid team around him, it might be enough for him to take a less-lucrative deal. If that ends up being the case, Seattle might be planning a World Series parade sooner rather than later.