Adam Frazier, Seattle Mariners.
In the summer of 2022, the Seattle Mariners advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2001. They had a record 90-72 to finish in second place in the American League (AL) West, losing to the eventual World Series champions, the Houston Astros, in the Divisional Series.
The Mariners are building something special, and there is anticipation in the city for the first time in a long time.
Last offseason, the Seattle Mariners front office was busy signing Cy Young winner Robbie Ray from the Toronto Blue Jays to shore up the pitching staff. They also acquired Adam Frazier in a trade with San Diego to be their everyday second baseman.
The jury is still out regarding each transaction. Ray went 12-12 with a 3.71 ERA, and Frazier hit .238, down from his career average of .278, which dropped his OPS numbers to .612. On the bright side, Julio Rodriguez won the AL Rookie of the Year award.
The next step is to continue building up this Seattle Mariners roster and find the missing pieces to challenge the Astros for AL West supremacy. Several high-dollar shortstops on the free agent market, but the M’s face stiff competition to land any of them.
This means they have to go in another direction. Recently, the Mariners have found their names attached to two All-Star caliber second basemen, Gleyber Torres and Kolten Wong.
Whether or not management can orchestrate a deal, it’s clear that the team is looking to upgrade the infield and protect their best asset, Rodriguez, in the batting order.
Wong spent the 2021 season in Milwaukee and found himself unemployed when free agency opened. He batted .251 with 108 hits, 15 home runs, 47 RBIs, 65 runs, 17 stolen bases, and a .770 OPS.
If the Mariners are interested in Wong, who is 32 years old, it would be a curious acquisition since his numbers are almost a carbon copy of Frazier’s, except for his on-base percentage.
The only difference between the two players is that Wong won back-to-back Gold Gloves in 2019 and 2020, while Frazier was an All-Star in 2021 with Pittsburgh. It would be interesting to see how management pitches its ideas to the media and fanbase because this acquisition seems like a lateral move.
One of the few upsides to bringing on a player older than the one they want to replace is that Wong can steal bases.
If the Seattle Mariners want to increase their speed on the bases, they also need to put more balls in play. In 2022, the team ranked 24th in hits, with runners in scoring position and 16th overall in stolen bases.
These numbers lead us to another player the team has links to, Torres. A lifetime Yankee infielder, he is the textbook definition of a streaky hitter who had one spectacular season (38 home runs in 2019). Since then, he’s struggled at the plate and on the field, bouncing between short and second.
Torres had a rebound season in 2022, reaching 24 home runs while belting 135 hits and posting a .761 OPS. Offensively, he’s a much better hitter than Frazier and Wong.
As mentioned previously, he’s a streaky hitter who can drive everyone crazy by underperforming for weeks at a time. Furthermore, he doesn’t steal many bases, with just 36 in his career. Then again, the Yankees have never thought speed on the basepaths equaled success.
A new environment could ignite a fire in Torres, bringing him back to his best season. His position in the lineup would add some protection for Rodriguez, and if he gets the pop back, he will form a lethal one-two punch in the heart of the lineup, something Fraizer and Wong won’t do.
Jean Segura
One of the biggest names in the free agency pool is former Seattle Mariners and Phillies infielder Jean Segura. The former two-time all-star is looking for a new team after a down year in which he only suited up for 98 games.
Historically, Segura strikes out less than Torres and Wong, which is one of the few appealing aspects of his joining the team. However, with injuries and age (he’ll turn 33 before spring training), Segura could be a blessing or a curse for a team hungry to contend and win.
Two more high-profile free agents out there fall into the same category as Segura, damaged goods in one form or another, and their addition could be good or bad.
Donovan Solano
Donovan Solano is 35 years old and missed some time in 2022, collecting just 79 hits in 80 games. Recently he won a Silver Slugger award in 2020, but with just 572 hits in nine seasons on his resume, he averages around 62 hits a season and is no threat to run on the bases.
Furthermore, age and injuries are not on his side, despite his ability to hit doubles and strikes out less than Torres, Frazier, Segura, and Wong.
Cesar Hernandez
Another exciting player who is available is Cesar Hernandez, formerly of the Washington Nationals. Out of all the potential moves the Seattle Mariners could make for a second baseman, he could be the best-bruised apple in the bunch.
Hernandez is streaky, but when he’s hot, he connects. The nine-year MLB veteran can easily lead the Mariners in hits or finish in the top three since his career average is 156 a season.
However, he’s never constantly been an RBI hitter, tends to reach triple-digits in strikeouts, and has seen his OPS drop in recent years. Nevertheless, under the right circumstances, he could come to town, find his swing again and provide superior defense up the middle with a .982 fielding percentage.
Bare Cupboard
When browsing the MLB Pipeline’s Mariners’ Top 30 prospects, there isn’t a single second baseman in the group. A handful of shortstops could convert to the other side of the bag; however, the pipeline showcases the team’s inability to draft and grow a star second baseman.
Most people know the Robinson Cano experience was a disaster, and the 2023 free agency class doesn’t have players at the same level as Jose Altuve, Trevor Story, or Marcus Semien in 2022. Moreover, no one knows what management plans to do with their infield since the Frazier project didn’t succeed as expected last year.
One of their best options may be to keep Frazier and hope a second season in the Emerald City brings him back to his days in the National League, where he was a star and everyday threat.
If the Seattle Mariners did dip into free agency for a second baseman and sign Frazier, Wong, Segura, Solano, or Hernandez, they deserve a prove themselves single-season contract. No matter what they do today, the Seattle Mariners will face a dilemma of what to do later.
Fans have to wonder if the M’s have an ace up their sleeve and put together a trade package to acquire younger players like Jonathan India or Brandon Lowe. Either could provide a booster in the lineup and on the diamond.
Last season, Seattle shocked the baseball world by clawing their way into the Wild Card and completing one of the grandest comebacks recorded in the postseason. This team is on the brink of contention for an American League Pennant and a World Series ring.
Ultimately all roads lead through Houston. So if the Seattle Mariners continue to adjust and tinker, the sky is the limit.
Right now, no one has come out and said what the plan is, but they have to be working on it behind closed doors. It wouldn’t be surprising if management called a press conference to announce a blockbuster trade or a free agent signing we didn’t see coming.
The Seattle Mariners are moving forward, which most fans have waited a lifetime to see come to fruition.