Victor Robles' awful spring is further justifying underrated Mariners move

Most Seattle Mariners fans fondly remember the impact Victor Robles had almost as soon as he arrived in the Pacific Northwest two years ago, as he provided a valuable leadoff bat and a rocket for an arm from the outfield in what ended up being his best season since 2019.

Last season saw Robles come crashing back down to earth — quite literally — as a he dislocated his left shoulder on a tough diving catch into the foul territory netting in early April and didn't return to action until late on in the season. Even this was impacted by having to serve a suspension after throwing a bat at a pitcher during his rehab assignment, and his subsequent impact was minimal. In 10 playoff games for the Mariners, he batted just .111 with a .499 OPS.

Now quite rightly, people can point out that it's unfair to criticize Robles too much — that he remains a talented player who saw his productivity comprised significantly by his injury issues and limited action. However, despite originally being hailed as a five-tool player, the reality is that he's had an inconsistent career though nine years in the majors.

Not helping Robles' cause is that he's been horrendous so far in spring training this year, even taking into account that it's not usually wise to read too much into what happens during Cactus League play. Still, it becomes somewhat of a "Yikes!" situation when you consider that he's just 2-for-24 (both singles) with six strikeouts and no walks.

Mariners signing of Rob Refsnyder lessens the need for Victor Robles to rediscover his 2024 form

Harsh or not, Robles' tremendous stretch during 2024 in Seattle will conceivably be considered as an outlier to some critics, which might explain why the Mariners signed Rob Refsnyder to a one-year, $6.25 million deal. In fact as SoDo Mojo's Tremayne Person wrote back in January, the organization went out of their way to entice him with a contract that is loaded with incentives, including potential award bonuses,

Refsnyder helps out the Mariners significantly as a damn good platoon bat, with a spectacular 155 wRC+ since 2022 from the right side of the plate versus left-handed pitching. There's also the intangible of him being known as an excellent clubhouse presence who will offer veteran leadership, which is just the kind of player Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander place great value on.

As it relates to Robles, while no one is claiming he can't bounce back and display his undoubted talent, the pressure isn't there as much now. The Mariners don't necessarily need him to bat leadoff anymore with Brendan Donovan on board, and Refsnyder's defensive versatility means he can also platoon in right field, with him capable of making spectacular catches if need be.

Overall, this is just a more well-rounded and deep roster which has been carefully constructed with the genuine potential to go deep into October, helped by underrated signings such as Refsnyder. Sure, if Robles can rediscover his 2019 or 2024 form it can only enhance the Mariners' quest for a first World Series, but this is no longer the necessity it might have been previously.