Which pending free agents should the Mariners re-sign?
The Seattle Mariners don't have many question marks this offseason when it comes to pending free agents on their current roster. They currently have 3 players on the big league roster that are going to be free agents this offseason. Those players are Dominic Leone, Tom Murphy, and Teoscar Hernandez. So which of these players should the Mariners try and keep and which should they let walk?
Dominic Leone: Good luck buddy
I believe the Mariners will let Dominic Leone walk this offseason (if he makes it to the offseason with us). Leone is 31 years old and has bounced around this year. He started the season with the Mets and was traded to the Angels on August 1st. Then once the Angels were out of the playoff race they put him on waivers. The Mariners scooped him up in hopes of fixing him with their pitching lab.
On the season Leone holds a 5.21 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and a 6.45 FIP. These numbers are even worse with the Mariners. In his four innings pitched, he has 4 runs all off of homeruns. He just hasn't been good and he isn't someone I would bring back next year, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was DFA'd before the end of the season.
Tom Murphy: Bring Back
Good backup catchers are very hard to come by in the MLB. When Tom Murphy plays he is a really good player for the Seattle Mariners. The problem is that he has battle injuries pretty much every year he has been a Mariner. In his time with the Mariners Murphy has been a 4.9 oWAR and a 1.7 dWAR, which are very respectable numbers for a backup catcher.
Murphy was having a great year this year until he went on the IL with a sprained thumb on August 14. This season his slash line is .290/.335/.538, with 8 homeruns, 17 RBI's, and 9 runs scored. While his offense and defense are good off the bench, Murphy is also a leader in the club house. I could see and hope the Mariners bring him back on a 1-2 year deal.
Teoscar Hernandez: Bring Back
Teoscar Hernandez got off the a really slow start with the Mariners. In the first 89 games of the season. Hernandez had a slash line of .250/.307/.439, with 15 homeruns, 50 RBI's and an OPS+ of 103. Hernandez was basically an average player the first 89 games. The last 53 games have been a lot more normal for him, his slash line in the last 53 games is .299/.326/.500 with 10 homeruns, 36 RBI's and an OPS+ of 119, much more respectable than the first half.
Hernandez will only be 31 when the 2024 season starts and will be a very sought after this off season with a very weak free agent class. I think the Mariners will try to re-sign Hernandez but there will be a lot of competition for his services. I think he gets a 2-3 year deal somewhere, I also think the Mariners will give Hernandez a qualifying offer which is projected to be over $20 Million this offseason. So in the very least the Mariners get draft compensation if Hernandez leaves in free agency.