Seattle Mariners 2023 Second Base Options Bleak
The Seattle Mariners are building a winner but have a big hole at second base. Options to fill the void are slim.
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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.