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Offseason Outlook: Seattle Mariners

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The American League featured seven good teams in 2023, but with only six playoff spots, one of them had to be heartbroken. In the end, it was the Mariners, who couldn’t get back to the postseason after breaking their drought the year before. The good news is that most of the roster is sticking around for another shot at it, with plenty of payroll space for offseason additions.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Julio Rodríguez, OF: $190MM through 2034 (can increase based on All-Star selections and awards voting; club has multi-year option after 2028, player has opt-out after 2029)
  • Luis Castillo, RHP: $91MM through 2027 (includes conditional club/vesting option for 2028)
  • Robbie Ray, LHP: $73MM through 2026 (includes opt-out after ’24)
  • J.P. Crawford, SS: $31MM through 2026
  • Evan White, 1B: $17MM through 2025 (includes buyout on ’26 option; club also has options for 27-28)
  • Eugenio Suárez, 3B: $13MM through 2024 (includes buyout of ’25 club option)
  • Marco Gonzales, LHP: $12MM through 2024 (club has ’25 option with no buyout)
  • Dylan Moore, IF/OF: $6.625MM through 2025
  • Andrés Muñoz, RHP: $4.5MM through 2025 (club has 26-28 options with no buyouts)

Option Decisions

  • None

Other Financial Commitments

  • None

2024 financial commitments: $102.8MM
Total future commitments: $459.125MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projected salaries via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: Torrens, Thornton, Rojas

Free Agents

The Mariners broke a 20-year playoff drought in 2022, winning 90 games and getting a Wild Card spot. They ran it back with a fairly similar roster in 2023 but regressed slightly to 88 wins. That was enough for them to miss the playoffs by just one game, getting eliminated in the final weekend of the season.

The good news is that the many of the same ingredients will remain on the roster with a small number of departing free agents, putting them in good position to compete again in 2024. Their best asset in 2023 was run prevention, as only the Brewers and Padres allowed fewer than the 659 runs Seattle surrendered. They did that in spite of losing Robbie Ray to Tommy John surgery early in the season, with rookies stepping up to fill the void.

Ray is currently expected back around the All-Star break, but the rotation looks to be in good shape without him. Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock and Marco Gonzales give the club seven viable rotation options. Gonzales was injured for much of 2023 but made 32 starts the year before with a 4.13 ERA. Each of Miller, Woo and Hancock debuted this year with solid results, all of them posting an earned run average between 4.20 and 4.50. They each have options and can be kept in the minors if the club wants to preserve depth and manage their innings.

It’s possible that there are enough arms here that the club considers trading from this pile for offense. But they were in a similar situation last year and ended up hanging onto all of their starters. Since pitching injuries are fairly inevitable and eventually came to pass for Ray and Gonzales, the club is probably glad they picked that path and may do so again. But if they take a different tack this time, they would surely find plenty of interest. The Cardinals are just one of many clubs looking for starting pitching and have already been connected to Gilbert, but it’s unclear if the Mariners are interested in such a path.

In the bullpen, despite recent trades of Erik Swanson and Paul Sewald, there are still plenty of excellent pieces in place. Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash and Justin Topa each posted an ERA of 3.06 or lower this year, with solid contributions from Gabe Speier, Tayler Saucedo and others as well. The aforementioned trades of Swanson and Sewald show the club is not afraid of dealing from the bullpen to address other areas, but the midseason Sewald deal may have rubbed some the wrong way. Since that has echoes of the Kendall Graveman trade of years past, perhaps the club will opt for holding onto their relievers for now.

Whether it’s through trade or free agency, adding thump to the lineup figures to be a priority for president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander this winter. Their 758 runs scored in 2023 was 12th in the majors, behind most other postseason clubs. Part of that is due to their pitching-friendly home ballpark but wRC+, which controls for such things, had them ninth. Teoscar Hernández had a down year relative to his own standards but his departure for free agency nonetheless increases the challenge of upgrading the offense.

The catcher position won’t be a high priority, as Cal Raleigh has emerged as one of the best power-hitting backstops in the league. Tom Murphy reaching free agency creates a bit of a hole at the backup spot, with Luis Torrens and Brian O’Keefe on hand to replace him. Bringing back Murphy or another veteran could be on the to-do list, though that’s likely not going to be where the club prioritizes adding offense. Even glove-first options like Luke Maile or Austin Hedges would be fine here.

On the infield, J.P. Crawford took a big step forward at shortstop but second base was a black hole. The club’s flier on Kolten Wong was disastrous, as he hit just .165/.241/.227 for the M’s. He got released and the club rotated Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore and José Caballero through the spot down the stretch. This is one clear spot where the club could look for upgrades but the free agent class isn’t strong, with Whit Merrifield, Amed Rosario and Adam Frazier the headliners. None of those guys are likely to replace the production of the departing Hernandez but it would be hard for them to be worse than Wong. The trade market could offer Gleyber Torres, Jonathan India or Brendan Donovan, though it’s unclear how willing their respective clubs would be to make them available in offseason talks.

At the corners, Eugenio Suárez had a bit of a down year but it doesn’t seem to be too much cause for concern. His batting average and on-base percentage were close to his numbers from the year before, but his homers dropped from 31 to 22, which pushed his wRC+ down from 130 to 102. His hard hit rates were very similar from year to year yet his rate of fly balls leaving the yard dropped from 19.3% to 12.9%. Since he’s still under contract, it seems fair to expect the M’s will keep him at the hot corner and hope for better luck next year.

It’s a similar story at the other corner, with Ty France also experiencing a power dip as his hard hit rate and exit velocity stayed fairly steady. He hit just 12 home runs in 2023 after launching 20 the year before, causing his wRC+ to drop from 125 to 104. He’ll be due a raise to $7.2MM via arbitration, which will be good value if his luck turns next year. Mike Ford struck out in 32.3% of his plate appearances but also popped 16 homers in just 251 plate appearances. He’ll be due an arbitration raise but to barely above the league minimum, which should prompt the M’s to keep him around at least as a bench bat.

In the outfield, Julio Rodríguez is the anchor up the middle but both corners are now question marks. In left field, Jarred Kelenic was above-average overall but struck out in 31.7% of his plate appearances. Cade Marlowe had similar results in a small sample size. Dominic Canzone crushed a few balls but had an OBP of .258 thanks to a low walk rate and BABIP.

Kelenic probably did enough to earn a job next year, but Hernández will need to be replaced, meaning the club should add at least one corner outfielder. Hernández himself is the top of the class, but it’s possible the M’s let him walk in order to collect a draft pick after he rejects a qualifying offer. He’s coming off a down year and could consider accepting, but it’s a weak group of free agent hitters overall, which should nudge him towards the open market. Beyond him, the best options are players like Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Tommy Pham, with Michael Conforto and Jorge Soler perhaps opting out of their deals. Any of those would be a good fit in Seattle, though it’s debatable whether any of them are clear upgrades over Hernández.

There’s also Cody Bellinger, who is the clear top outfield option overall. He won’t supplant Rodríguez in center but the M’s could theoretically sign him and move him to a corner spot. But since his ability to play above-average defense in center is part of his appeal, they could be outbid by a team with a cleaner roster fit.

Of course, the best way for the club to upgrade their lineup would be to sign Shohei Ohtani, though it’s tough to say how likely that is. Even though he won’t pitch in 2024, he figures to get a record-setting contract based on his elite hitting and the potential of returning to the mound in 2025. The Mariners have been seen as a potential Ohtani landing spot, given his supposed preference for a West Coast team and to play for a contender.

The Mariners fit on both counts and also have arguably the strongest legacy of using Japanese players. A lot of that is due to the legendary status of Ichiro Suzuki, but they have also had Yusei Kikuchi, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Nori Aoki, Hisashi Iwakuma and many others on their roster at various times throughout the years. That could have some degree of importance to Ohtani, but it would likely be supplementary to the primary concerns of the financials and the winning culture.

Speaking of the money, the Mariners are in a decent place there with barely over $100MM committed for 2024. That doesn’t include the arbitration class, but that only projects to add about $15-20MM, depending on who is tendered a contract. They had an Opening Day payroll over $137MM this year, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, but were in the $150-160MM range prior to the pandemic. It seems fair to assume they would happily spend at that level again if it meant bringing Ohtani aboard, considering both his talents and the international marketing opportunities.

But they certainly won’t be the only team with a strong willingness to fit Ohtani onto the roster. The Dodgers can market themselves with a greater track record of winning than the Mariners, and also have higher spending capacity. Other clubs like the Giants, Angels, Rangers and Mets could all be argued to be sensible fits as well.

It’s possible that the offseason of the Mariners, and maybe the entire league, will start out slowly as the Ohtani situation plays out. There are many clubs that will have Ohtani as Plan A and everything else as Plan B. This applies to the Mariners perhaps as much as any other club.

That leaves open two distinct forks in the road ahead. On one path, the Mariners get Ohtani, who immediately gives them the lineup upgrade they need and creates a positive energy around the future of the club. Or they don’t get Ohtani and are looking to spread their money around to some combination of Bellinger, Hernández, Merrifield, Gurriel, Conforto, Frazier, Torres or Soler. One path is obviously more exciting than the other, but both should lead the club to a good place next year. Competing with the Astros and Rangers won’t be easy, but everything is in place for another three-team showdown in the West next year.

In conjunction with this post, Darragh McDonald held a Mariners-specific chat on 10-13-23. Click here to view the transcript.

14 Players Elect Free Agency

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As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR, including a list of 29 players last week. The next group, courtesy of the transaction tracker at MiLB.com:

Catchers

Outfielders

Pitchers

29 Players Elect Free Agency

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October brings postseason play for a handful of teams and their fanbases. Just over two-thirds of the league is now in offseason mode after being eliminated, however. As the season comes to a close, a number of veterans will hit minor league free agency.

These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. The first group, courtesy of the transaction tracker at MiLB.com:

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Pitchers

AL Notes: Verdugo, Astros, Mariners

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With the Red Sox front office seeing change at the top following the firing of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, it’s hard to predict what sort of direction Boston might go in this offseason before they find a replacement for Bloom at the top of the club’s hierarchy. Still, there are some clues, most notably comments by team president and CEO Sam Kennedy that indicate the club hopes to sign some of their younger players to long-term extensions, with the likes of right-hander Brayan Bello, first baseman Triston Casas, and outfielders Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu earning particular mention.

While Duran had experience in the infield during his time in the minors, both he and Abreu are exclusively outfielders at the big league level. Between Boston’s apparent belief in both youngsters, the emergence of top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela as perhaps the club’s best defender in center field, and the presence of Masataka Yoshida on a long-term deal, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see where outfielder Alex Verdugo fits in for the Red Sox. As noted by Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, however, Verdugo spoke glowingly of the organization on the final day of the regular season.

“Hopefully I stay here with the Red Sox,” Verdugo said, “I love this organization. I have made it clear to them.” At the same time, Verdugo acknowledged the uncertainty of his position headed into the offseason before saying, “You just have to work hard… If it’s not this team, there’s 29 other teams.”

A free agent after the 2024 campaign, Verdugo would be an interesting trade candidate if dangled by the Red Sox this offseason. Verdugo finished the 2023 campaign on a rough note, slashing just .225/.268/.367 in the second half. Prior to that, however, he was a borderline All Star with a .290/.360/.457 slash line that was in line with the very best performances of his career. Taken together, it makes for a roughly league average production (98 wRC+) in 142 games this year. Verdugo also contributed positively with the glove, registering +1 Outs Above Average after posting -5 marks in each of the previous two seasons. That combination of solid defense in right field and a league average or better lefty bat should be intriguing to outfield-needy clubs, particularly given a fairly soft free agent class at the position.

More from the American League…

  • The Astros are set to begin their postseason push tomorrow with a five-game set against the Twins in the ALDS, but GM Dana Brown is already making plans for what comes next when the team’s season concludes. As noted by MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, Brown, who joined the Astros as GM back in January, has made clear that promotions are inbound for other members of the club’s front office, saying that he’s “found out they have a lot of good people here.” Brown noted that “at least six” promotions are expected within the front office. While the specific personnel and role changes being discussed aren’t yet clear, it’s sensible for the Astros to promote from within as front offices around baseball begin asking their fellow organizations for permission to interview club employees for positions in their own organization. As previously mentioned, the Red Sox are looking for a new head of their baseball operations department, while the Mets could look to replace GM Billy Eppler in the near future after he stepped down from his role as David Stearns’s second in command yesterday.
  • With managerial vacancies in Anaheim, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Queens already announced, plenty of clubs are already making changes in the dugout this offseason. MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi suggests that the Mariners could see several members of their coaching staff get significant attention for the open positions, listing bullpen coach Stephen Vogt, first base coach Kristopher Negron, and third base coach Manny Acta all as Seattle coaches who could be under consideration for one or more of the current vacancies. Acta is the only one of the three with previous managerial experience at the big league level; in addition to three years with the Nationals from 2007-2009, he stands as Cleveland’s most recent manager besides Terry Francona, who retired from managing following the 2023 campaign.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: Mariners To Spend? Tigers To Contend? And Managerial Vacancies

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Mark Polishuk is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

  • The start of the playoffs, with Mark and Anthony making their World Series predictions (1:20)
  • The Mariners fell just shy of the postseason, so how will the team reload in the winter to address several problem areas on the roster? And, could the M’s splurge on the biggest marquee signing of all in Shohei Ohtani? (3:18)
  • Eduardo Rodriguez’s opt-out clause is the biggest question mark facing the Tigers as their offseason begins, but could Detroit be relatively close to getting back into contention next year? (7:18)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • How will the Dodgers address their pitching needs this offseason, and is J.D. Martinez a candidate to be re-signed after his strong year in Los Angeles? (14:05)
  • How does a manager impact a team’s ability to lure free agents, plus a broader look at the four current managerial vacancies with the Angels, Giants, Guardians, and Mets (22:12)

Check out our past episodes!

  • Free Agent Pitching Dark Horses, Padres To Cut Payroll, and If The Angels Should Rebuild — listen here
  • Front Office Changes in Boston and New York, and the New Rays Stadium Agreement — listen here
  • Free Agent Class Preview: Catcher and First Base, Germán Márquez Extension and the Dodgers’ Rotation — listen here

Mariners Leadership Discusses Offseason Plans, Injury Updates, Coaching Staff

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Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, GM Justin Hollander, and manager Scott Servais conducted an end-of-season press conference with reporters this afternoon. The presser covered a variety of topics, including the club’s plans for the offseason, the future of the coaching staff, and updates regarding a few of the club’s injured players.

Dipoto took the opportunity to respond to comments from catcher Cal Raleigh on the night of Seattle’s elimination from postseason contention, in which he called upon the front office to spend more aggressively this offseason than the club has in the past and referenced other teams that acquired “big-time” pitchers and hitters in recent offseasons.

“His opinions are his own, and I don’t begrudge anybody the ability to share their opinions,” Dipoto said (as transcribed from a video courtesy of Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times), “I don’t know that the solution to our problems is big name players… but would I like to add big name players? Sure, I think we all would. I think that to the extent that Cal was trying to express an opinion, and I can’t speak for him, he wants to get better… we all do. Whether that is by way of a big-name player, you know, there are a number of teams that are evidence that that might not be the only way you can build a roster.”

For his part, Hollander added (as relayed by MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer) that the club has “plenty of resources” headed into the offseason with which to acquire talent, both in terms of player capital for potential trades and financial power, as they look to return to the postseason in 2024.  That tracks with publicly available information on Seattle’s financial situation headed into 2024. The club spent $152MM on player payroll in 2023, with the luxury tax payroll just passing $196MM. Before accounting for arbitration-level contracts, the club has around $45MM of budget space if the club’s budget remains stagnant relative to 2023, with over $75MM to work with for luxury tax purposes.

Servais, meanwhile, said (per Divish) that while the roles and responsibilities of certain personnel may change, the club expects to welcome back its entire coaching staff for the 2024 campaign. Hollander, meanwhile, provided updates on several injured players including left-hander Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White, both of whom are expected to be ready for Spring Training next year.

The longest-tenured member of the Mariners, rotation, Gonzales made 131 starts for the club between 2018 and 2022 with a 3.94 ERA and 4.35 FIP, but managed just 50 innings of work this season due to a nerve issue that eventually required season-ending surgery. White, meanwhile, underwent hip surgery back in May. The 27-year-old signed a $24MM extension with Seattle prior to his big league debut but has struggled to hit at the big league level, with a career slash line of just .165/.235/.308.

The biggest news, as relayed by Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, was regarding that of left-hander Robbie Ray. The 2021 AL Cy Young award winner underwent Tommy John surgery back in May, and he appears to be making progress as expected in his rehab process, with the club considering a return around the 2024 All Star break to be a “best-case scenario.” That would be just under 14 months after Ray underwent the surgery, on the quicker end of the typical Tommy John rehab for pitchers, which usually takes around 14-18 months. Ray posted a 3.71 ERA across 32 starts for the Mariners in 2022 but made just one appearance in 2023, allowing five runs (three earned) in 3 1/3 innings before departing his first start of the season due to injury.

The Mariners Had An Elite Shortstop In 2023 After All

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While the Mariners were officially eliminated from postseason contention on the second-to-last day of the regular season, the club saw many positive developments throughout the 2023 campaign, including the emergence of Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo as capable big league starters and the emergence of Jarred Kelenic as a quality regular in the outfield. Perhaps most noteworthy for Seattle going forward, however, is the offensive breakout of a player who’s already been with the club for several years: shortstop J.P. Crawford.

Seattle was widely viewed as a potential landing spot for one of the 2022-23 free agent class’s marquee shortstops: Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa, and Xander Bogaerts. MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald was among those who urged the Mariners to jump into the fray of the middle infield market last offseason, and for understandable reasons. Not only had the club’s one-year deal for second baseman Adam Frazier proved to be a disappointment- the veteran slashed just .238/.301/.311 in 602 plate appearances with Seattle that year- but Crawford was in the midst of a difficult year as the club’s primary shortstop.

The 2022 campaign started off extremely well for Crawford, as the lefty slashed .340/.435/.546 in the first month of the season. Unfortunately, Crawford scuffled the rest of the way, slashing just .221/.317/.287 the rest of the way. Crawford’s brutal performance at the plate through most of the year can be attributed to power numbers that were nothing short of dreadful. He hit just two home runs over his final 117 games in 2022, and his BABIP over that stretch was just .254 thanks to extremely poor quality of contact. Crawford’s 2% barrel rate, 85.1 mph average exit velocity, and 29.7% hard-hit rate were all in fifth percentile or worse among qualified hitters last season, per Statcast. Though Crawford was a solid defender at shortstop the previous season, defensive metrics indicated Crawford’s lack of production last year included his glovework, as well: among 37 qualified shortstops last year, Crawford’s -11 Outs Above Average was second lowest.

Given Crawford’s down season in 2022, calls for the Mariners to pursue a franchise shortstop were understandable. As such, comments from president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto early this past offseason that while the Mariners would pursue the coming class of shortstops, his “great preference” was to acquire a player willing to play second base were puzzling to some. Ultimately, the club worked out a swap with Milwaukee to bring in second baseman Kolten Wong as Crawford’s partner up the middle rather than sign one of the four star shortstops, none of whom ended up moving to the keystone with their new clubs this year.

The deal for Wong proved to be a blunder, as the 32-year-old slashed a dreadful .165/.241/.227 across 67 games with Seattle this year before being designated for assignment on the day of the trade deadline this year. Despite that major misstep, Crawford’s managed to make the club’s deference to him as the regular shortstop look perfectly reasonable as he developed from an average everyday player to the fifth most valuable shortstop in the majors this season. Crawford’s defense didn’t return to form, as his -8 OAA still placed him in the bottom five among qualified shortstops this year. The 28-year-old’s bat, on the other hand, saw some major improvements.

Perhaps most obvious among the improvements to Crawford’s offensive output this season is his walk rate. While Crawford has generally been better than average at drawing free passes in his career, he took that to another level in 2023. Crawford’s staggering 14.7% walk rate this season was the fourth-best figure among qualified major leaguers, trailing only Juan Soto, Kyle Schwarber, and Shohei Ohtani while finishing just ahead of Max Muncy and Bryce Harper.

That sort of elite company in terms of plate discipline is made all the more impressive when you consider Crawford’s strikeout rate. While the 19.6% figure was actually his highest since 2019, only Soto struck out less often in 2023 among the aforementioned group of five hitters surrounding Crawford. Indeed, Crawford and Soto are two of just seven hitters in the majors this season with strikeout rates below 20% and walk rates above 12%, joined by the likes of Mookie Betts, Adley Rutschman, and Alex Bregman.

In addition to top-tier plate discipline, Crawford improved his power output significantly in 2023. While he didn’t become an elite or even average slugger at the plate, his power numbers still saw considerable improvements across the board relative to last year. His barrel rate more than doubled to 4.8%, he added more than three mph to his average exit velocity, and his hard-hit rate jumped from the fifth percentile among qualified hitters in 2022 to the 21st percentile in 2023, an impressive feat over the course of just one season.

Put together, Crawford’s improvements at the plate saw him slash an impressive .266/.380/.438 with a wRC+ of 134, a 31-point increase from his roughly-league average 2022. Crawford slugged 19 home runs, up from last season’s six, to raise his ISO from .093 last year (sixth-worst among 130 qualified regulars) to .172 (72nd among 133 qualified regulars). By measure of wRC+, Crawford went from being the 14th-best offensive shortstop in 2022 to being this year’s second-best, trailing only Corey Seager.

The Mariners would still do well to improve at the keystone headed into 2024; the keys to the position figure to be handed over to Josh Rojas (78 wRC+) and Jose Caballero (96 wRC+) without any external additions. With that being said, the club’s position up the middle has substantially improved relative to where they were this time last year, as Crawford has provided Seattle with an impact player to slot into their middle infield mix while the Mariners prepare for 2024 with a return to the postseason on their minds.

AL West Notes: Mariners, Astros, Angels

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On the heels of the club’s elimination from postseason contention last night, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh spoke with reporters (including MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer), as he reflected on the 2023 season. In doing so, he delivered a clear call to action for the club’s front office headed into the offseason.

“We’ve got to commit to winning… to going and getting those players. You see other teams going out, going for it, getting big-time pitchers, getting big-time hitters. We have to do that to keep up.” Raleigh said, before expressing frustration with the organization’s decision to deal closer Paul Sewald ahead of the trade deadline.  “We lost a few close games, later in the game, and we could’ve used him.” Among Seattle’s 23 losses after shipping out Sewald, the Mariners led or were tied headed in the late innings in ten of them.

Raleigh went on to compare the Mariners’ approach to that of the Rangers, who clinched their first postseason berth since 2016 thanks to Seattle’s loss last night. “They’ve added more than anybody else, and you saw where it got them this year,” Raleigh said, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat, that’s for sure. But going out and getting those big names… would help this clubhouse, would help this team.” While Raleigh acknowledged the strength of Seattle’s homegrown core, he reiterated that “sometimes, you have to go out and you have to buy. That’s just the name of the game, and we’ll see what happens this offseason. Hopefully, we can add some players and become a better team.”

Looking ahead to 2024, the Mariners should be in good position to make additions. Per RosterResource, the club has just under $107MM on the books for 2024, with a payroll of just over $119MM for luxury tax purposes, while that doesn’t include arbitration-level contracts for players like first baseman Ty France, it should still give a Mariners club that spent an estimated $152MM with a luxury tax payroll of just over $196MM plenty of room to make additions, should they choose to do so. [UPDATE: Raleigh partially walked back his statement in an apology today, saying that while he wants to win, “I just want to apologize to my teammates, my coaches, fans. It wasn’t a time to talk about what-ifs in that scenario.”]

More from around the AL West…

  • The Astros paired with the Houston Rockets to acquire AT&T SportsNet Southwest, from Warner Bros. Discovery on Friday, as noted by MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. The regional sports network, which is set to be rebranded as Space City Home Network, will air Astros games in time for the 2024 campaign. The team’s current channels and TV broadcasting team will remain in place. The move brings to a conclusion uncertainty regarding Houston’s broadcast situation for the 2024 campaign, as Warner Bros. Discovery announced earlier this year that they planned on exiting the RSN business.
  • Sam Blum of The Athletic recently took a look at the state of the Angels organization, interviewing various current and former team personnel, including players. The report provides insight into the club’s player development apparatus, which clearly appears to be lagging behind the standards set by other big market organizations. As Blum notes, the Angels are among the increasingly small group of teams that does not yet have a dedicated lab for either pitching or hitting, while the club’s major league spring training facility has been shut down for the past three springs, forcing big league spring training into the club’s minor league facility. Despite the club playing in one of America’s largest markets, one former coach told Blum that the club operates as “a typical small-market team.” The Angels, of course, have not made the playoffs in 2014 and figure to lose two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who won the AL MVP award in 2021, and figures to do so again in 2023.

AL West Notes: Astros, Anderson, Rendon, Murphy

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The Astros have been without outfielder Michael Brantley for most of the past week due to soreness, which according to manager Dusty Baker (as relayed by The Athletic’s Chandler Rome) is “mostly” in his surgically repaired shoulder. That’s troublesome news for Houston, as the veteran outfielder has played in just 12 games since he was shut down for shoulder surgery last summer. That Brantley’s been forced off the field by his ailing shoulder once again raises questions as the Astros gear up to defend their title as the reigning World Series champions this fall, though it’s at least somewhat encouraging that the club hasn’t yet elected to place him on the injured list.

Brantley’s absence would normally be expected to allow Yordan Alvarez to move into left field, freeing up the DH spot for a bat like rookie catcher Yainer Diaz. Things aren’t quite that simple, however, as Alvarez is dealing with injury issues of his own. The slugger told reporters, including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, recently that he hasn’t been able to play the field recently after “feeling something” in his elbow earlier in the month while swinging the bat. The incident has left the Astros acting cautiously with their superstar slugger, who has slashed .293/.410/.578 in 106 games with the club this year. While Rome notes that Alvarez was taking fly balls and throwing in the outfield before today’s game, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle relayed yesterday that Baker is still trying to avoid using Alvarez in the outfield during games.

With Brantley unavailable and Alvarez seemingly restricted to DH, the club figures to rely on the services of Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubon in the outfield for the time being. With Kyle Tucker entrenched in right field on an everyday bases and both Meyers and Dubon grading out as solid center fielders defensively, the unfortunate injury situation with Brantley and Alvarez has nonetheless allowed the Astros to improve their outfield defense by moving Chas McCormick into left field rather than utilizing him in center.

More from the AL West…

  • Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson saw his season come to an end today, as the club placed him on the 15-day IL with left knee soreness (as noted by MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger) following today’s game against the Twins. Anderson was poised to start tomorrow’s game for Anaheim, though no replacement starter has been announced to this point. Anderson’s first year with the Angels was a difficult one, as the lefty posted a 5.43 ERA and 4.93 FIP in 141 innings of work. Anderson signed a three-year, $39MM deal with the club early last offseason after posting a fantastic season in 2022 with the Dodgers.
  • Sticking with the Angels, Bollinger also relays that third baseman Anthony Rendon isn’t expected to return from the injured list this season, according to club manager Phil Nevin. 2023 will go down as yet another injury-marred campaign for the veteran third baseman, who has been on the shelf since early July with a shin injury and has played just 148 games since the start of the 2021 campaign. Rendon, who slashed .236/.361/.318 with a wRC+ of 95 in 183 trips to the plate this year, has three years and roughly $116MM left on his contract with the club headed into 2024.
  • The Mariners have been without catcher Tom Murphy for over a month due to a thumb fracture and was shut down from baseball activity earlier in September due to the issue. While that diagnosis put the remainder of his 2023 in doubt, it’s possible that there’s reason for optimism regarding Murphy’s ability to return this year, at least in the event that Seattle makes it to the postseason. MLB.com notes that Murphy was poised to undergo an MRI yesterday to determine whether he could resume baseball activities, though no update has been provided regarding the catcher’s status at this point. Murphy’s hit exceptionally well in a back-up role this year behind Cal Raleigh, with a .290/.335/.538 slash line in 159 trips to the plate this year. The club has recently been relying on Luis Torrens as their second catcher in Murphy’s absence.

Sean Doolittle Announces Retirement

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Veteran left-hander Sean Doolittle announced on Instagram this morning that he’s retiring after 17 years in professional baseball. He spent the season with the Nationals organization, hoping for a comeback bid in the Majors after undergoing UCL surgery last summer, but the recovery from that procedure and a subsequent knee injury limited him to just 10 2/3 minor league innings this season. He’s been on the minor league injured list since late June.

“After 11 incredible seasons playing the sport I love, I can say with gratitude and a full heart that I am retiring from baseball,” Doolittle wrote in announcing his decision.

“Seventeen years ago the Oakland Athletics drafted me as a first baseman out of the University of Virginia. However, as some of you may know, my career nearly ended before it began. After a spate of early injuries, I was nearly ready to hang it up. But then the team approached me and asked if I’d be willing to give pitching a try. With the direction and unwavering support of A’s farm director Keith Liepmann and pitching coach Garvin Alston, I found my second chance. I am forever grateful to them for helping me turn a second chance into a career.”

Doolittle went on to issue heartfelt thank yous to his family, fans of the A’s and Nationals, his managers, his teammates, his coaches, and to the Reds and Mariners for his time spent with each organization (and, as the always-humorous southpaw notes, for “increasing [his] chance for getting on the Immaculate Grid”).

Doolittle’s second chance indeed became a career — and a very fine one at that. The No. 41 overall pick in the 2007 draft debuted with the 2012 A’s and hit the ground running, pitching 47 1/3 innings of 3.04 ERA ball with a huge 31.4% strikeout rate and excellent 5.8% walk rate. Doolittle almost immediately cemented himself as one of the top lefty relievers in the game, and by his third MLB season in 2014, he’d seized the closer’s role in Oakland and been named to his first of two All-Star teams.

For five and a half seasons, Doolittle anchored the Oakland bullpen, posting a 3.09 ERA in 253 innings with 68 holds and 36 saves. He and righty Ryan Madson were traded to the Nationals in a July 2017 swap that sent a struggling (at the time) Blake Treinen, then-prospect Jesus Luzardo, and minor league infielder Sheldon Neuse back to Oakland. It was a steep price for the Nats to pay, but it’s doubtful Washington has any regrets.

Doolittle stepped back into a ninth-inning role in D.C. and thrived, saving 21 games and pitching to a 2.40 ERA down the stretch with his new club before tossing three brilliant frames in the postseason. From 2017-19, the left-hander logged a 2.87 ERA and saved 75 games for the Nationals. The 2019 campaign saw Doolittle finish an NL-best 55 games and pick up a career-high 29 saves.

Despite a rocky month of August, he played a significant role in the Nationals’ now-legendary 2019 turnaround, particularly once the postseason rolled around. Doolittle was one of manager Davey Martinez’s most trusted arms during the Nationals’ playoff run, tossing 10 1/3 innings with a 1.74 ERA and 8-to-1 K/BB ratio. While it was teammate Daniel Hudson who threw the iconic final pitch of the Nationals’ World Series win, Doolilttle saved two games and collected three holds over the course of the 2019 postseason. That includes three shutout frames in the World Series itself, highlighted by Doolittle nailing down a four-out save when he set down Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel and Carlos Correa in order in a Game 1 victory.

Injuries have marred the final few seasons of Doolittle’s career, but he’ll nevertheless retire as a two-time All-Star and a World Series champion. He totaled 450 2/3 innings of 3.20 ERA ball in parts of 11 big league seasons, adding in another 22 1/3 innings with a 2.42 mark in the postseason. Doolittle also logged 112 saves (115 including postseason play) and 82 holds (plus five more in the playoffs). Between his trips to free agency and an early $10.5MM extension that included a pair of club options for another total $12.5MM, Doolittle earned $26MM over the course of his career.

Beloved for his clutch performances, candid and often eccentric personality, and thoughtful approach to pitching, Doolittle would likely have myriad opportunities to continue his career in baseball as a coach, scout or executive if he aspires to do so. Congratulations on an outstanding career and best wishes to the southpaw in his post-playing days, whichever path he chooses to take.

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