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Mariners Rumors

Jorge Polanco Undergoes Knee Surgery

By Darragh McDonald | October 10, 2024 at 5:05pm CDT

Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco underwent surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The infielder expects to be ready by spring training. The Mariners can retain Polanco for 2025 via a $12MM club option with a $750K buyout. They will have until five days after the World Series to decide whether to pick it up or not.

Polanco, 31, just finished a rough campaign. Acquired from the Twins going into the season, he got into 118 games but hit just .213/.296/.355 for a wRC+ of 92. That was a notable drop from his time in Minnesota, as he had hit .269/.334/.446 over his 823 games as a Twin for a 111 wRC+.

Passan suggests that Polanco’s performance was impacted by the knee problems, particularly when hitting left-handed. The switch-hitter slashed .198/.301/.345 against righties this year for a wRC+ of 91. That actually wasn’t too far off from his right-handed production, mostly due to a big difference in his walk rate. He slashed .250/.285/.379 against lefties for a 94 wRC+. His batting average as a righty was far better but he only walked 4.6% of the time. Since he walked in 11.8% of his plate appearances as a lefty, he made up most of the difference in terms of overall production.

The knee issue didn’t come out of nowhere. He dealt with soreness in 2022, eventually missing the month of September while on the injured list due to left knee inflammation. But he still finished the season with a solid .235/.346/.405 slash line and 118 wRC+ in 104 games.

The soreness was still there in March of 2023, so Polanco started the season on th IL. He was activated by the third week of April. He did go back on the IL a couple of more times that year, but both of those later stints were due to left hamstring strains. He got into 80 games last year and produced a .255/.335/.454 line and 117 wRC+.

After those two seasons impacted by knee issues, he was flipped to the Mariners ahead of the 2024 season, with reliever Justin Topa, starter Anthony DeSclafani and prospects Gabriel Gonzalez and Darren Bowen going the other way. Both clubs saw their end of that deal impacted by injuries. Topa only made three appearances this year due to his own left knee issues while DeSclafani underwent flexor tendon surgery and missed the whole season.

The Mariners are likely to buy out Polanco on the heels of such a poor season, unless they buy into the narrative that his 2024 struggles were completely caused by the knee. If Polanco were able to return to his pre-2024 form, he’d be worth the investment, but the Mariners might prefer to keep that powder dry until later in the winter. The payroll in Seattle is expected to climb but perhaps not by much.

Even if Seattle is interested in bringing Polanco back for 2025, they could probably turn down the option and re-sign him for less than that option price. They figure to have Josh Rojas at either second or third base but should be looking for infield help, either in free agency or trade.

If Polanco ends up on the open market, he’ll join a group of free agent second basemen that includes Gleyber Torres, Jose Iglesias, Ha-Seong Kim, Amed Rosario, Whit Merrifield and others.

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Seattle Mariners Jorge Polanco

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Mariners Chairman John Stanton On Jerry Dipoto, Payroll, Broadcasting Deals

By Mark Polishuk | October 5, 2024 at 2:46pm CDT

The Mariners have won at least 85 games in each of the last four seasons, but the club’s wild card berth and subsequent ALDS appearance in 2022 marks Seattle’s only trip to the playoffs in that stretch.  This year’s squad won 85 games on the heels of the sport’s best pitching staff, but the Mariners’ lineup struggled badly for much of the season, leading to another year without any October baseball.

Amidst increasing fan unrest over this lack of success, team chairman/CEO John Stanton preached patience, as Stanton said in an interview with MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer.  “I am as disappointed as any fan we have that this team hasn’t been in the playoffs in two years,” Stanton said.  “I believe we’re making progress.  I can certainly understand why fans are frustrated when they hear me say that, but I believe that we are on track to have a team that consistently wins over a long period of time.  I intend this team to win, have a winning record every season, be in the playoffs most seasons, and we will win a World Series.”

In regards to this quest for Seattle’s first baseball championship, Stanton confirmed a Seattle Times report from last month which stated that Jerry Dipoto will continue as the top decision-maker in the front office.  Stanton didn’t provide specifics on Dipoto’s contract status, or any hints about how many more years remain on the extension Dipoto signed in September 2021.  As Kramer notes, it would appear as though Dipoto is still working under that previous contract and hasn’t signed a new deal, given that the Mariners made public announcements when Dipoto inked his previous two extensions with the team.

“I believe in Jerry, and Jerry is going to continue to lead our baseball organization into the future as the president of baseball operations — and I believe passionately that he is the right guy to do that,” Stanton said.

Another Seattle Times report (again from Ryan Divish and Adam Jude) earlier this week stated the Mariners would have a higher payroll next season, even if such an increase wasn’t expected to be enough for the M’s to accommodate a major free agent signing.  According to RosterResource, the Mariners finished 2024 with a payroll of roughly $144.8MM, and have a little under $95MM on the books for 2025, though that latter figure doesn’t account for the projected salaries owed to Seattle’s large arbitration class of 12 players.  This might not leave the M’s too far beneath the $144.8MM figure based on internal salaries alone, let alone the necessary upgrades that will be needed to the roster, particularly on the hitting side.

While Stanton said the payroll would indeed be on the rise, he unsurprisingly declined to state exactly how much extra Dipoto’s front office would have available to spend this winter.  “I think our draft, develop and trade philosophy certainly doesn’t preclude free agents,” Stanton said, though Dipoto has only signed two free agents (Robbie Ray and Mitch Garver) to multi-year contracts during his nine seasons as Seattle’s top baseball exec.

“I think Jerry’s done an extraordinary job of trading….He’s been prolific in doing that, and very effective in doing that,” Stanton said.  “And I think that that is an important part of that philosophy.  And if you’re effective in trading, it seems to me that that means you don’t have to do free agency deals in the same numbers.”

The Mariners’ takeover of ROOT Sports regional sports network was seen as the chief reason for the club’s relative lack of spending last winter, and while Stanton said this was a “misconception,” he later added that the Mariners’ broadcast situation is “not going to be nearly the concern that it was this past year.”

Stanton said the M’s haven’t yet decided on their broadcasting plans for 2025, as while the Mariners aren’t one of the teams tied up in contracts with the Diamond Sports Group and Bally Sports Networks, DSG’s ongoing bankruptcy process is still a chief factor in how the Mariners will choose to proceed with their own programming going forward.  In terms of deciding to continue with ROOT Sports or to perhaps turn to MLB itself to broadcast Mariners games, the result of the DSG case “will allow us to know what other teams are doing, and that will give us some sense as to what it is that MLB would have to sell, basically,” Stanton said.  “If there are a lot of teams involved, then they’ve got an ability to deliver to distributors, such as the cable companies, a broader set of markets, and therefore something more valuable to those distributors.”

In the broader sense, Stanton noted that Seattle is “roughly the 15th-largest market in baseball.  We’re pretty much smack dab in the middle in terms of the size of the market, and that means that we’re about average in our ability to generate revenue and to do those things.  I think, to me, the word that we use a lot — and our objective — is to have a sustainable franchise over a long period of time.”

Stanton also spoke publicly for the first time about the Mariners’ firing of manager Scott Servais in August, which the chairman described as “a gut-wrenching, difficult decision” on Dipoto’s part.  Servais’ dismissal and the subsequent hiring of Dan Wilson as the new manager came after “a very long series of conversations.  I asked Jerry questions as to why he wanted to make the change, with respect to Scott, why he wanted to bring Dan in, and I was certainly satisfied by his thinking on it.”

Servais also infamously learned of his firing from a news update before he heard from Dipoto or Stanton, which Stanton expressed “deep regret” over, “and that is a source of frustration for everyone in this building.”  Stanton implied that he didn’t know where the leak came from, but “I am highly confident it didn’t come from within this building or from our ownership group, because I know there was a very small circle of people who are aware of it, and I have a high level of confidence that those people did not say anything.”

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Seattle Mariners Jerry Dipoto John Stanton Scott Servais

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Nine Players Elect Free Agency

By Mark Polishuk | October 5, 2024 at 7:59am CDT

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. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com log.

Catchers

  • Rob Brantly (Rays)

Infielders

  • Nick Maton (Orioles)
  • Zach Remillard (White Sox)

Pitchers

  • Diego Castillo (Twins)
  • Yonny Chirinos (Marlins)
  • Chris Devenski (Mariners)
  • Jonathan Hernandez (Mariners)
  • Erasmo Ramirez (Rays)
  • Josh Rogers (Rockies)
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Baltimore Orioles Chicago White Sox Colorado Rockies Miami Marlins Minnesota Twins Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Chris Devenski Diego Castillo Erasmo Ramirez Jonathan Hernandez Josh Rogers Nick Maton Rob Brantly Yonny Chirinos Zach Remillard

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Rays Acquire Ty Cummings From Mariners To Complete Randy Arozarena Trade

By Darragh McDonald | October 4, 2024 at 4:00pm CDT

The Rays have acquired right-hander Ty Cummings from the Mariners as the player to be named later in the July trade that send outfielder Randy Arozarena to Seattle, per announcements from both clubs. The righty wasn’t on Seattle’s 40-man roster and won’t need to be added to Tampa’s.

The Mariners were leading the American League West for much of the first half of 2024 but were fading in the summer as their offense disappeared. They attempted to revive their lineup at the deadline by acquiring Justin Turner from the Blue Jays and Arozarena from the Rays. In the deal with Tampa, the M’s parted with prospects Aidan Smith, Brody Hopkins and a player to be named later, who has now been revealed as Cummings.

Both Turner and Arozarena hit well for the M’s but the club still fell shy of the postseason. They still have a chance to recoup some value on the Arozarena deal going forward as he can be retained for two more seasons. He made $8.1MM in 2024 and will be due two more raises in the forthcoming campaigns. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a salary of $11.7MM in 2025.

Cummings, 23 next month, was selected by the Mariners in the seventh round of the 2023 draft. Taken out of Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, he signed for a $225K bonus. He made his professional debut this year, making 25 starts for High-A Everett. In his 116 2/3 innings for the AquaSox, he allowed 4.17 earned runs per nine. He struck out 24.7% of batters faced, walked 9.2% of them and got opponents to hit the ball on the ground at a 50.3% clip.

Back in July, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs published his list of the top 34 prospects in the Mariners’ system. Cummings wasn’t one of those 34 but got an honorable mention as Longenhagen described him as a potential depth starter.

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Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Randy Arozarena Ty Cummings

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11 Players Elect Free Agency

By Darragh McDonald | October 3, 2024 at 4:17pm CDT

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. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com log.

Catchers

  • Seby Zavala (Mariners)

Infielders

  • Keston Hiura (Angels)

Outfielders

  • Edward Olivares (Pirates)

Pitchers

  • Dan Altavilla (Royals)
  • Matt Andriese (Marlins)
  • Aaron Brooks (Athletics)
  • Justin Bruihl (Pirates)
  • Paolo Espino (Blue Jays)
  • Anthony Gose (Guardians)
  • Geoff Hartlieb (Rockies)
  • Jake Woodford (Pirates)
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Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Miami Marlins Oakland Athletics Pittsburgh Pirates Seattle Mariners Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Aaron Brooks Anthony Gose Dan Altavilla Edward Olivares Geoff Hartlieb Jake Woodford Justin Bruihl Keston Hiura Matt Andriese Paolo Espino Seby Zavala

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34 Players Elect Free Agency

By Anthony Franco | October 1, 2024 at 9:55pm CDT

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. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com log.

Catchers

  • Alex Jackson (Rays)
  • Andrew Knapp (Giants)
  • Andrew Knizner (D-Backs)
  • Reese McGuire (Red Sox)
  • Jakson Reetz (Giants)
  • Ali Sánchez (Marlins)
  • Brian Serven (Blue Jays)

Infielders

  • Diego Castillo (Twins)
  • José Devers (Marlins)
  • Thairo Estrada (Giants)
  • Danny Mendick (White Sox)
  • Cole Tucker (Angels)
  • Jason Vosler (Mariners)

Outfielders

  • Billy McKinney (Pirates)
  • Cristian Pache (Marlins)

Designated Hitter

  • Willie Calhoun (Angels)

Pitchers

  • Phil Bickford (Yankees)
  • Ty Blach (Rockies)
  • Nick Burdi (Yankees)
  • John Curtiss (Rockies)
  • Kent Emanuel (Marlins)
  • Cole Irvin (Twins)
  • Casey Kelly (Reds)
  • Matt Koch (Rockies)
  • Steven Okert (Twins)
  • Yohan Ramírez (Red Sox)
  • Gerardo Reyes (A’s)
  • Trevor Richards (Twins)
  • Ryder Ryan (Pirates)
  • Kirby Snead (Mariners)
  • Touki Toussaint (White Sox)
  • Tanner Tully (Yankees)
  • Jordan Weems (Nationals)
  • Mitch White (Brewers)
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Arizona Diamondbacks Boston Red Sox Chicago White Sox Cincinnati Reds Colorado Rockies Los Angeles Angels Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Pittsburgh Pirates San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Washington Nationals Alex Jackson Ali Sanchez Andrew Knapp Andrew Knizner Billy McKinney Brian Serven Casey Kelly Cole Irvin Cole Tucker Cristian​ Pache Danny Mendick Diego Castillo (b. 1997) Gerardo Reyes Jakson Reetz Jason Vosler John Curtiss Jordan Weems Jose Devers Kent Emanuel Kirby Snead Matt Koch Mitch White Nick Burdi Phil Bickford Reese McGuire Ryder Ryan Steven Okert Tanner Tully Thairo Estrada Touki Toussaint Trevor Richards Ty Blach Willie Calhoun Yohan Ramirez

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Mariners Expected To Increase Payroll In 2025

By Steve Adams | October 1, 2024 at 11:00am CDT

The Mariners missed qualifying for the postseason by just one game — a heartbreaking outcome for a club that held a commanding 10-game lead in the American League West back in June. Seattle’s offense floundered all year on the heels of a 2023-24 offseason punctuated by payroll restrictions and a series of salary-driven trades to help balance the lineup while adhering to a budget that was tighter than most anticipated.

Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times have some relatively good news for frustrated M’s fans on that front, reporting that ownership expects payroll to increase in 2025. That’s a breath of fresh air after it became clear almost immediately last offseason that payroll had minimal room to grow. On the other hand, the Times duo adds that a major free agent splash is not expected, thus suggesting that any uptick in payroll could be fairly modest in nature.

Seattle’s roster is overwhelmingly cost controlled, as the bulk of its core is either signed long-term or in the early stages of arbitration. As is the case with all teams fitting that description, there are some natural payroll increases that should be baked into the offseason.

Julio Rodriguez will see his salary jump from $10MM to $18MM under the terms of his long-term extension, for example. Victor Robles only cost the Mariners the prorated league minimum this year after being released by the Nationals, but he’ll earn $3.5MM next year on the two-year extension he signed in August. Dylan Moore, Andres Munoz and Mitch Garver will also see small salary increases on their guaranteed multi-year deals, all of which are slightly backloaded. It’s not all increases, however. Mitch Haniger’s deal is frontloaded, and he’ll actually see his salary drop from this year’s $20MM mark to the $15.5MM level on a player option he’s sure to exercise.

The bigger area for increase lies within the Mariners’ arbitration class. First-time candidates include Cal Raleigh and George Kirby, both of whom should command significant raises and could go from costing the club a combined $1.5MM to somewhere in the combined $10MM range. Randy Arozarena ($8.1MM in 2024), Logan Gilbert ($4.05MM) and Josh Rojas ($3.1MM) are in line for the most notable raises among the rest of the group, though relievers like Trent Thornton ($1.2MM in ’24), Austin Voth ($1.25MM), JT Chargois ($1.285MM), Gabe Speier (pre-arb) and Tayler Saucedo (pre-arb) could all get boosts as well. Luis Urias is all but a surefire non-tender candidate, and injured utilityman Sam Haggerty isn’t necessarily guaranteed to be tendered.

Assuming the Mariners decline Jorge Polanco’s $12MM option after a disappointing 2024 season — Divish and Jude unsurprisingly write that they’re likely to do so — and tender contracts to Raleigh, Kirby, Gilbert, Rojas, Thornton, and Saucedo, they’ll land somewhere in the $140MM payroll range before making a single move this offseason (including a slate of pre-arbitration players to round out the roster). This year’s payroll was finished just shy of $145MM, per RosterResource.

An increased payroll, then, doesn’t necessarily signify the looming addition of any large salaries to be acquired via free agency or trade. That said, word of an increasing payroll also does lend some insight into the direction the team will take. For instance, we’ve already seen the Cardinals plainly state that next year’s payroll will decrease. It became clear almost immediately in the Twins’ offseason last year that payroll would decline from 2023 to 2024. We’re five years removed (to the day) from Rockies ownership kicking off the winter by saying they lacked flexibility for additions of note. With Jerry Dipoto returning as president of baseball operations, there’s always a “never say never” caveat attached to virtually any player’s trade candidacy, as he’s among the game’s most active executives on that market. Still, there’s no reason to anticipate sweeping changes among the team’s excellent young core.

Rather, the focus once again seems likely to be on reinventing an offense that has been continually stagnant despite repeated personnel changes. The M’s would no doubt welcome the opportunity to get out from some or all of their commitments to Haniger and Garver, but that’ll be no small feat. They’ll again be looking to upgrade at third and/or second base after last year’s pickups of Polanco and Urias didn’t yield the intended results. First base is an open question, though the hope is that young Tyler Locklear can solidify the position.

The outfield/designated hitter mix — Arozarena, Rodriguez, Robles and Luke Raley — is largely set, and the Mariners don’t figure to be major players in the starting pitching market. Gilbert and Kirby will be rejoined by Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo, comprising a brilliant rotation. Other clubs will surely try to pry some of those young, cost-controlled arms away from the Mariners while dangling promising young hitters in return. However, Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander opted not to deal from that rotation stock last year and would surely be reluctant to do so this coming offseason, given the near-unmatched blend of excellent results and affordable price tags they have throughout the starting staff.

Divish and Jude write that Dipoto spoke of ways to “address our holes that maybe don’t include [trading away] the players that are here” — a potential nod to dealing from a deep farm rather than subtracting from the big league roster. Prospects like Locklear, catcher/outfielder Harry Ford, right-hander Logan Evans, outfielders Jonny Farmelo and Lazaro Montes, and infielders Colt Emerson, Cole Young and Felnin Celesten have all garnered fanfare among the game’s top-100 prospects since midseason. More broadly, the Mariners rank 11th or better on the midseason farm system rankings from ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (11th), MLB.com (ninth) and Baseball America (seventh). Dipoto and Hollander will have no shortage of coveted young talent to peddle on the market if the goal is to augment the lineup without heavily subtracting from the current big league roster.

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Seattle Mariners Jorge Polanco

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Justin Turner Plans To Continue Playing In 2025

By Nick Deeds | September 29, 2024 at 8:39am CDT

Mariners infielder Justin Turner’s 40th birthday is just around the corner this November, but that’s not stopping the veteran from planning to keep going next year. The pending free agent told reporters, including MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer, after Seattle’s win over the A’s last night that he wants to continue his playing career in 2025:

“100 percent. I still feel good, still feel like I have a lot to contribute.”  Turner said, as relayed by Kramer. “And I absolutely love spending time around these guys and the conversations and questions and helping guys.”

Even as he enters his 40s, it’s not necessarily a shock that Turner would plan to continue playing. After all, the veteran remains quite productive on the field. In 138 games split between Toronto and Seattle this year, the veteran has slashed .258/.353/.380 with a wRC+ of 115. While Turner’s 11 home runs and .122 isolated slugging percentage are both the lowest he’s posted in a full season since becoming a regular with the Dodgers back in 2015, his overall production remains exactly in line with what he produced for the Red Sox last year and not far off from the 123 wRC+ he posted in his final year as a Dodger.

Turner has largely been restricted to first base an DH since departing Los Angeles, with just six total appearances at the hot corner this year after logging 17 appearances between second and third base with the Red Sox last year. That dwindling versatility will surely restrict his market this winter, but there should still be plenty of suitors for Turner even in a strictly 1B/DH role. After all, just nine teams got a 115 wRC+ or higher out of first base this year, while 11 clubs matched or exceeded that figure at DH. Only the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Braves, Phillies, and Diamondbacks got better numbers than Turner provided out of both positions this year, and Arizona figures to lose both Christian Walker and Joc Pederson to free agency this winter.

Of course, it’s unlikely that Turner would really garner interest from every club he would be an on-paper upgrade for, but it’s still easy to imagine him as a fit for a number of teams. The Astros could benefit from a right-handed complement to Jon Singleton at first base and someone capable of plugging in at DH on days where Yordan Alvarez plays the outfield, for one example. Meanwhile, the Royals, Nationals, Tigers, and Pirates are all young up-and-coming teams who not only got below average production from either first base or DH this year but could also benefit from adding a well-respected veteran like Turner as a mentor figure for young hitters.

Turner has also signed one-year deals in each of the past two offseasons, which could make him a particularly attractive candidate for a team like the Tigers that has a possible regular in Spencer Torkelson but may not want to rely on the 25-year-old finally taking a long-anticipated step forward after making the playoffs for the first time since 2014 this year. That flexibility could also benefit a team like the Yankees that has a potential heir to first base in Ben Rice at Triple-A but is unlikely to fully commit to a youngster with just 49 big league games under his belt.

A return to Seattle also can’t be ruled out. As Kramer noted last night, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto indicated to reporters yesterday that the club’s payroll is likely to increase this winter. While Dipoto cautioned that much of that increase figures to be accounted for with the increasing arbitration costs of a large class of key players like Randy Arozarena, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Cal Raleigh, it’s not hard to imagine the club being able to fit a one-year deal for Turner into their budget if they decide they’d prefer to use him in the first base/DH mix alongside Luke Raley rather than rely on youngster Tyler Locklear.

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Seattle Mariners Justin Turner

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Dipoto: No Plans To Deal From Mariners Rotation

By Nick Deeds | September 28, 2024 at 8:41pm CDT

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke to reporters (including Adam Jude and Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times) prior to the club’s game against the Athletics today about the upcoming offseason and the club’s plans after coming up just short in the postseason race for the second season in a row. Of note is the fact that Dipoto told reporters that they club has no intention of dealing from its rotation this winter in order to upgrade other areas of the roster, with Divish quoting Dipoto as having referred to the notion as “Plan Z” for the club as they head into the offseason.

For all of Seattle’s faults this year, the rotation can’t be considered among them. Seattle starters led the league with a collective 3.39 ERA this year, ranked third with a 3.63 FIP, racked up the most strikeouts with 879, and with 931 2/3 innings of work provided more volume than any other MLB rotation this year. The team’s top quintet of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Luis Castillo, and Bryan Woo will finish the year having made 149 of the club’s 162 starts, with just one start made by a pitcher other than the aforementioned group and sixth starter Emerson Hancock.

It’s a remarkable level of both dominance and durability from the club’s top starters that entirely justified their decision to part ways with Marco Gonzales and Robbie Ray over the offseason, sacrificing rotation depth in order to increase flexibility to address other areas of the roster. Even so, it’s easy to understand why the club wouldn’t be interested in returning to such a strategy this winter. It would be reckless for Seattle to assume its top starters will again be able to take the mound for more than 90% of the club’s starts. If anything, the club is lacking in depth options for the rotation beside Hancock, with Jhonathan Diaz standing as the only other starter on the club’s 40-man roster.

Fortunately, it seems the club also expects less turnover on the positional side this winter, when compared to last year’s overhaul of the lineup. The 2023-24 offseason saw the Mariners part ways with Teoscar Hernandez, Eugenio Suarez, Jarred Kelenic, and Mike Ford with Ty France following them out the door during the 2024 season. After spending much of last winter looking to replace Kelenic and Hernandez’s production in the outfield, Jude relays that Dipoto believes the club’s outfield mix to be fairly set headed into 2025 with Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, and Victor Robles as the club’s starting options.

It’s hard to argue with that assessment. Despite a second straight season where he started off sluggishly, Rodriguez is still the club’s $200MM+ player who provides a four-win floor when healthy with his stellar center field defense and offense that ranges from solid to spectacular. Meanwhile, Arozarena was the club’s top acquisition over the summer with a 120 wRC+ since joining the Mariners. Robles being assured of a starting job with Seattle next year would’ve been a shock a few months ago, but he’s looked like a different player than the one who struggled to live up to the hype as a former top prospect with the Nationals since joining the Mariners: In 75 games with his new club, he’s slashed .327/.395/.464 with 29 stolen bases in 30 attempts as the regular leadoff hitter in Seattle.

With that being said, Dipoto did leave the door open to acquisitions in other areas of the roster. As Jude notes, Dipoto suggested that the Mariners’ strong finish to the season (they’ve gone 19-13 since firing manager Scott Servais in late August) leads him to believe the club isn’t far from returning to the postseason, but they’ll explore upgrades to their infield mix this winter nonetheless. That should be fairly doable for a club that struggled to put up even league average numbers at second base, third base, and shortstop this year while relying on a position change for Luke Raley and a deadline rental in Justin Turner to shore up first base.

Between the steady production of Cal Raleigh and the looming presence of top prospect Harry Ford at Double-A, it’s hard to imagine the club looking to upgrade behind the plate this winter. It’s also easy to imagine the club staying internal at first base with a platoon of Raley and prospect Tyler Locklear, though that would likely be a step backwards from the production Turner provided down the stretch against lefties. Dylan Moore remains a solid utility option for the club off the bench, and it would be something of a surprise to see the club move on from shortstop J.P. Crawford with two guaranteed years left on his contract.

That leaves second and third base as the easiest places for the club to upgrade, with Jorge Polanco’s $12MM club option unlikely to be picked up and Rojas fairly easy to move into a part-time role. Given the club’s general avoidance of significant contracts for position players in free agency under Dipoto, it’s hard to imagine them going big for a top infield option like Alex Bregman, or Willy Adames. Even so, there could be upgrades to be found in lower tiers of free agency or on the trade market. Brandon Lowe of the Rays and Nico Hoerner of the Cubs are among the infield options who could see their names come up in trade talks this winter, while Gleyber Torres or Ha-Seong Kim could be available to the Mariners in free agency, though they’d likely have to go outside of their typical comfort zone to land either player.

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Seattle Mariners Jerry Dipoto

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Latest On Mariners' Hitting Coach Plans

By Mark Polishuk | September 28, 2024 at 8:37am CDT

  • The Mariners’ offense has been one of the best in baseball since Edgar Martinez assumed hitting coach duties on August 23, yet it isn’t clear if Martinez will be back in the job next season.  The Seattle Times’ Adam Jude writes that the club has already started looking for a new hitting coach, though the M’s would seemingly love having Martinez return, if he is willing to take on the daily grind of a coaching role over a full season.  The possibility exists that the Mariners could both hire a new top hitting coach and still retain Martinez, as Jude suggests that Martinez could stay on as a coach for just home games, in order to cut down on the travel.
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Boston Red Sox Houston Astros Notes Seattle Mariners Texas Rangers Edgar Martinez Josh Jung Nick Pivetta

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