Underwhelming target emerges in Mariners' reported search for new third baseman

Seattle is running out of time to fill their existing roster gaps. The top free agents have unsurprisingly signed contracts the Mariners could only dream of affording, but more recently the budget options have also been picked up by the big market players. Even players who lost their spots to those newer, shinier free agents haven't been able to find their way to Seattle.

So unless the team finds nearly $200 million in between the couch cushions, they'll have to settle for the scraps at the bottom of the barrel, something they seem to be doing if recent rumors are to be believed.

Former No. 1 overall prospect Yoán Moncada is reportedly being pursued by the Cubs, Blue Jays, and Mariners. All three teams have tried and failed to acquire a notable free agent infielder, although the Cubs have had more cumulative offseason success thus far.

Hardly anyone's first choice for marquee offseason signing, Moncada has been dramatically limited by recurring injuries and has just three seasons with 500+ plate appearances since debuting in 2016. His most recent season was cut short by a strained adductor, leading to his exorbitant $25 million club option being declined by the White Sox.

Mariners Rumors: Yoan Moncada emerges as free agent target for Seattle

So what can Moncada offer to the Mariners? Based on his recent numbers, it seems that teams are still betting on his potential upside. He's still just 29 and is only four years removed from posting a 116 OPS+ and 4.0 rWAR. This is the last season he was healthy, so it's natural that front offices might imagine the old Moncada is still in there somewhere.

Even at full strength, he has always had a swing-first approach that has given him a career strikeout rate of 29.2%, but he has shown the ability to offset this with higher walk rates and more optimal launch angles on his batted balls. Thus, he can still be productive at the plate even if he doesn't have the same pop as other third basemen.

Most importantly, he'll be cheap. After cobbling together just 45 plate appearances last season, he'll need to sign a one-year "prove it" deal before any team is willing to commit to anything more significant. For Seattle, they wouldn't be risking too much to take a flier on him since their current depth chart at third base is made entirely of career backups.

It's not the needle-moving transaction most are hoping for, but it may be better than absolutely nothing. After losing out on Hyeseong Kim, Gavin Lux, and countless other opportunities to upgrade the roster, they can't afford to be too selective about their next move. They're already having to explore contingency plans and if they wait too long and may be left empty-handed come Opening Day.