The impact of newest Seattle Mariners Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez
Chip Clark
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Monday, the Seattle Mariners pulled off a huge trade with Cincinnati, acquiring Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez.
Seattle Mariners General Manager “Trader” Jerry Dipoto was at it again on Monday. He acquired left fielder Jesse Winker and third baseman Eugenio Suarez from Cincinnati.
In exchange, Seattle sent outfielder Jake Fraley, plus pitchers Justin Dunn and Brandon Williamson to the Queen City. There are rumors of the M’s also sending a player to be named later.
Jesse Winker
2021 – 110 games, 423 at-bats, .305/.394/.556/.949, 24 home runs, 77 RBI.
Career – 413 games, 1,312 at-bats, .288/.385/.504/.888, 66 home runs, 190 RBI.
Last season was tremendous for Jessie Winker. Last year he set career highs in every offensive category en route to his first all-star appearance. His prowess at the plate is not in question. Winker’s biggest struggle has been staying healthy.
Jessie Winker can play both corner outfield positions, which helps in case of injury. He’s the left-handed bat the M’s needed to replace Kyle Seager.
Eugenio Suarez
2021 – 145 games, 505 at-bats, .198/.286/.428/.713, 31 home runs, 79 RBI.
Career – 1001 games, 3,520 at-bats, .252/.334/.466/.800, 193 home runs, 547 RBI.
The Seattle Mariners’ new third baseman is very capable of replacing Seager’s power numbers. Over eight MLB seasons, Suarez hit 30 or more home runs three times and 100 or more runs batted in twice.
With the good comes the bad; he had 140 plus strikeouts in five seasons. And while Suarez might remind M’s fans of a right-handed Seager at the plate, he led the National League in errors three times. It’s fair to say Dipoto traded for hSuarez’s offense and not his glove.
Impact
This deal gives the Seattle Mariners a much-needed power upgrade in the middle of the order.
For most of the starters, not much changes. The biggest impact comes from giving Kyle Lewis and Mitch Haniger more time to DH. As far as opportunities to play goes, only Luis Torrens takes a big hit. He can look forward to being the first guy off the bench in case of injury.
After last season’s debacle, Suarez still has a .850 OPS against lefties. That’s something every team can use in the era of a three-batter minimum. I like him in the middle of the order between Winker and Kelenic.
In the grand scheme, I can see Suarez in a platoon with lefty-hitting second baseman Adam Frazier. Switch hitter Abraham Toro alternates between second and third base depending on the opposing starter.
Lineups
vs. LHP
RF-Mitch Haniger, 2B-Abraham Toro, 1B – Ty France, LF-Jesse Winker, DH-Kyle Lewis, CF-Jaare Kelenic, 3B-Eugenio Suarez, C-Tom Murphy/Cal Raleigh, SS-J.P. Crawford.
vs. RHP
SS-Crawford, 1B-France, LF-Winker, DH-Haniger, RF-Kelenic, CF-Lewis, 2B-Adam Frazier, C-Murphy/Raleigh, 3B Toro.
Subs
Dylan Moore, Taylor Trammell, and Luis Torrens.
Wild cards
The two big wild cards are Julio Rodriguez and Evan White. The trade gives J-Rod some time at Triple-A to iron out the few kinks left in his game. As for Evan White, it looks like there is no room for him on the Major League roster when he’s healthy enough to return. An extended stay at Tacoma might be just what he needs to fix the hole in his swing.
Parting thought
Recently, Mitch Haniger said he wants the Seattle Mariners to be a team that fans are excited about. Well, these additions to the team are a great start.
What do you think of the Seattle Mariners’ latest trade? Let us know in the comments section below