Top 10 Seattle Mariners free agent targets to consider
Brad Hand.
2. Michael Brantley – Houston Astros – DH/OF
46 games, 170 at-bats, .300 batting average, 5 home runs, 25 RBI, .300/.364/.476/.840, 1.5 WAR.
Brantley is the absolute perfect hitter for the Seattle Mariners to add. As Kyle Seager began to slip last year, Kyle Lewis started getting fewer good pitches to hit. This team needs a bonafide lefty threat in the lineup.
There are three to four potential .280 or better hitters on the club, Kyle Lewis, Dylan Moore, Ty France, and hopefully, Jarred Kelenic. All of them bat right-handed, as do catchers Luis Torrens and Tom Murphy; and first baseman Evan White.
Brantley is the ideal man to put in the middle of the order to both protect the young hitters and break up the righty cluster. Also, he doesn’t have to play the field as this team has a multitude of outfield prospects who have arrived (Lewis), should be on the team in 2020 (Kelenic) or are on the way (Julio Rodriguez and Taylor Trammell).
Maybe Brantley takes a little less to come back to the city where he was born. If so, DiPoto should pounce.
3. Brad Hand – Cleveland Indians – RP (closer)
23 games, 2-1 record, 22 innings pitched, 16 saves, 29 strikeouts, 2.05 ERA, 0.773 WHIP.
As badly as the Seattle Mariners need starting pitching, they are desperate for a reliable closer. Nothing is more demoralizing to a team, especially a young one, than losing late leads. Both Yohan Ramirez and Andres Munoz have the raw talent to be quality MLB closers, but their time is still a few seasons away.
Over the last four seasons, Brad Hand has 105 saves, including a 2020 league-best 16. It’s important to note that he converted 100 percent of his opportunities this year. It’s unrealistic to expect Hand to be perfect. Judging by his recent track record, excellence is well within his grasp.