Ty France clearly treated as undeserved scapegoat for Mariners' offensive struggles

Hearing that the Mariners put Ty France on waivers surprises me for several reasons.

Ty France ended up being the Mariners' scapegoat

While France’s statistics may not be high, they are either higher than or like other players on the team. His batting average is currently .223. He has the fifth-highest average for players regularly starting for the team. He comes in at number three (67) for hits, second (14) for doubles, and sixth (31) for RBIs on the team.

France's OPS is .662, which is not great but comes in at eleventh on the team. My point is that he does not stick out like a sore thumb offensively. Statcast is not enthusiastic about his fielding, but I think he coordinates well with J.P. Crawford, J. Polanco, D. Moore, and J. Rojas for outs.

France is a Veteran Team Player and Leader

Ty France is in his fifth year with the Mariners. Jerry Dipoto trades aggressively so the team does not stick with many players long term. Just this past March, the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude and Warner Strausbaugh said, “Dipoto’s 2020 trade with the San Diego Padres — a haul that netted the Mariners Ty France and Andrés Muñoz, among others — stands as the most valuable trade of the Dipoto era.”

The Mariners have 24 players who are 27 years old or younger on their 40-man roster.  J.P. Crawford, Mitch Haniger, and Dylan Moore have been on the team for six years. Six guys on the regular lineup, however, are first-year Mariner players. While there are other baseball veterans, Ty France and these other three are vital leaders as Mariners. I cannot imagine that the team's decision will boost team morale!

Ty France is a Fan Favorite

Fans love Ty France.

When fans are frustrated with front-office decision-making, putting France on waivers does not improve the situation. Yes, he is having a bad season, but how much worse is it than any other player’s year?

The team could not wait until the offseason if they were going to trade France? Why trade him when the team needs every bit of support they can muster?

Impact of Ty France's Waiver move

Perhaps AAA Tacoma player, Jason Vosler, will slip into first base for the Mariners and lead the turnaround Seattle badly needs. Who knows?

Is France a scapegoat? Is this move supposed to make fans think the front office is working hard to improve the team?

I had a similar "scapegoat feeling" when the team fired Brant Brown as offensive coach. The team did not give him much time to fix the batting problems. Returning to the status quo certainly did not improve the offense.

Ty France and family, if you leave, we wish you only the best and thank you for everything you have contributed to the team and the fans.