The Seattle Mariners’ offseason has been nothing short of eventful, marked by a series of intriguing moves to reshape the team’s roster. Let’s dive into each of these transactions, examining why, their potential impact, and what the Mariners are likely aiming for with these changes.
Eugenio Suarez to Arizona for Carlos Vargas and Seby Zavala
Once a key figure at third base for Seattle, Suarez has been sent to Arizona in exchange for pitcher Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala. This move is a strategic play to bolster the Mariners’ pitching depth with Vargas, a promising arm in the minors, and add a backup option behind the plate with Zavala. Zavala, you may remember, hit three home runs in his major league debut but has yet to show much since then. By trading Suarez, the Mariners are likely looking to free up space in their infield, signaling a shift towards a younger, more dynamic roster.
Isaiah Campbell to Boston for Luis Urias
In the offseason trade involving Isaiah Campbell and Luis Urias, the Seattle Mariners traded Campbell to the Boston Red Sox for Urias, who is primarily a second baseman. Campbell was a decent bullpen pitcher for the Mariners last year, with a 2.83 ERA across 27 games. Urias is known for his versatility in the infield, his capability of playing multiple positions, and his ability to bring league-average weighted-on-base percentage with a great eye. This move is a strategic decision by the Mariners to enhance their infield options and add a more consistent hitter to their roster. The Mariners have been searching for second basemen, but Urias’s experience and ability to play various infield positions could offer Seattle valuable flexibility and depth.
Jarred Kelenic, Evan White, Marco Gonzales to Atlanta for Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips
This was a significant move, indicating a major shift in strategy. Seattle traded outfielder Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales, and Evan White to Atlanta for pitchers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips. While I disagree with the Kelenic trade as a player, let’s quickly revisit what happened in 2021. Kelenic became frustrated with being held down in the minors back in 2021. He went as far as to talk to reporters saying that he was being “punished for not signing a contract extension,” which was made true by the leaked audio of then CEO Kevin Mather informing a local Rotary club that Kelenic would be kept down in the minor leagues to preserve his service time. While this was over two years ago, it played a crucial role in this trade. Evan White battled several injuries and surgeries, and Marco Gonzales was the weak link in the rotation. In return, the Mariners received two flamethrowing pitchers, Kowar and Phillips. Both feature fastballs in the upper 90s, but not much more. Kowaar has already seen time in the majors with little success, and Phillips is only 20 years old. We won’t see Phillips for at least three seasons. Kelenic’s departure, along with Gonzales and White, suggests the Mariners are aiming to refresh their lineup, potentially due to underperformance or fit within the team’s plans, as well as relieving a disgruntled employee for locker room sake.
Signed Mitch Garver
Signing catcher Mitch Garver to a two-year contract is an apparent move to strengthen the team’s catching department. Garver brings experience and a solid bat, potentially adding much-needed stability and offensive power behind the plate. I’m betting Garver will be the DH with Cal Raleigh and newly acquired Seby Zavala. Garver only spent 230 innings (25.5 games for you math wizards) behind the dish last year. His batting value, calculated by Statcast, put him in the 89th percentile of all hitters. He will not chase pitches outside of the zone (98th percentile in Chase %) and will barrel the ball up (83rd percentile in Barrel %). After losing Tom Murphy to the Giants, replacing him with Mitch Garver is a definite improvement.
Robbie Ray to San Francisco for Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani, and Cash
Trading Robbie Ray away, a vital part of the Mariners’ pitching staff, was surprising. In exchange, they received outfielder Mitch Haniger, pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, and cash from San Francisco. The Robbie Ray experiment didn’t work out in Seattle, primarily due to injuries. Of course, the albatross of a contract had to be moved, so why not bring back fan favorite Mitch Haniger? Haniger has not played an entire season since 2021, but he’s shown he still has pop in his limited time. DeSclafani is…well, a pitcher. While he rarely walks batters, he’s among the worst in most Statcast categories. This move seems like a salary dump in the hope that Haniger will be healthy and the Mariners’ pitching coaches can make something out of DeSclafani. Budding superstar pitchers George Kirby and Logan Gilbert have given the front office confidence to make this trade. Including cash also suggests a financial strategy at play, possibly freeing up salary space for future moves.
Jose Caballero to Tampa Bay for Luke Raley
The trade of infielder Jose Caballero to Tampa Bay for outfielder Luke Raley looks like a move to add more depth and options in the outfield. With his experience and potential, Raley could be a valuable asset for the Mariners’ outfield rotation or serve as a solid backup. Raley, last year, had a similar offensive season to Kelenic, although he had a better OPS and is a better and faster fielder. Caballero was a pleasant surprise last year. The slick-fielding middle infielder immediately impacted the defensive end, ranking in the 94th percentile for range, but his bat was anemic at best. This trade makes more sense to me because of the acquisition of Urias from Boston.
Overall Strategy
This offseason was about addressing the offense, and the Mariners have somewhat succeeded there. The biggest issue on offense last year was the lack of a DH, and they’ve managed that with the signing of Mitch Garver and trading for Luis Urias. They were able to make more moves by shipping off often injured players to acquire players that could have a solid impact. The Mariners did lose Robbie Ray, but as I had mentioned before, the pitching staff is exceeding expectations, allowing the Mariners to take a stab at some projects in Jackson Kowar, Anthony DeSclafani, and Cole Phillips. Overall, I like the Mariners’ moves for the offseason, setting themselves up to be competitive this year and in the future.
