Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke to reporters (together with Adam Jude and Ryan Divish of The Seattle Instances) previous to the membership’s recreation in opposition to the Athletics right this moment concerning the upcoming offseason and the membership’s plans after arising simply brief within the postseason race for the second season in a row. Of be aware is the truth that Dipoto advised reporters that they membership has no intention of dealing from its rotation this winter to be able to improve different areas of the roster, with Divish quoting Dipoto as having referred to the notion as “Plan Z” for the membership as they head into the offseason.
For all of Seattle’s faults this yr, the rotation can’t be thought-about amongst them. Seattle starters led the league with a collective 3.39 ERA this yr, ranked third with a 3.63 FIP, racked up essentially the most strikeouts with 879, and with 931 2/3 innings of labor supplied extra quantity than another MLB rotation this yr. The workforce’s high quintet of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Luis Castillo, and Bryan Woo will end the yr having made 149 of the membership’s 162 begins, with only one begin made by a pitcher aside from the aforementioned group and sixth starter Emerson Hancock.
It’s a exceptional degree of each dominance and sturdiness from the membership’s high starters that fully justified their resolution to half methods with Marco Gonzales and Robbie Ray over the offseason, sacrificing rotation depth to be able to improve flexibility to handle different areas of the roster. Even so, it’s simple to grasp why the membership wouldn’t be excited about returning to such a method this winter. It will be reckless for Seattle to imagine its high starters will once more be capable to take the mound for greater than 90% of the membership’s begins. If something, the membership is missing in depth choices for the rotation beside Hancock, with Jhonathan Diaz standing as the one different starter on the membership’s 40-man roster.
Thankfully, it appears the membership additionally expects much less turnover on the positional aspect this winter, when in comparison with final yr’s overhaul of the lineup. The 2023-24 offseason noticed the Mariners half methods with Teoscar Hernandez, Eugenio Suarez, Jarred Kelenic, and Mike Ford with Ty France following them out the door through the 2024 season. After spending a lot of final winter trying to exchange Kelenic and Hernandez’s manufacturing within the outfield, Jude relays that Dipoto believes the membership’s outfield combine to be pretty set headed into 2025 with Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, and Victor Robles because the membership’s beginning choices.
It’s arduous to argue with that evaluation. Regardless of a second straight season the place he began off sluggishly, Rodriguez remains to be the membership’s $200MM+ participant who supplies a four-win flooring when wholesome together with his stellar heart discipline protection and offense that ranges from stable to spectacular. In the meantime, Arozarena was the membership’s high acquisition over the summer time with a 120 wRC+ since becoming a member of the Mariners. Robles being assured of a beginning job with Seattle subsequent yr would’ve been a shock a couple of months in the past, however he’s regarded like a special participant than the one who struggled to dwell as much as the hype as a former high prospect with the Nationals since becoming a member of the Mariners: In 75 video games together with his new membership, he’s slashed .327/.395/.464 with 29 stolen bases in 30 makes an attempt because the common leadoff hitter in Seattle.
With that being stated, Dipoto did depart the door open to acquisitions in different areas of the roster. As Jude notes, Dipoto steered that the Mariners’ robust end to the season (they’ve gone 19-13 since firing supervisor Scott Servais in late August) leads him to consider the membership isn’t removed from returning to the postseason, however they’ll discover upgrades to their infield combine this winter nonetheless. That needs to be pretty doable for a membership that struggled to place up even league common numbers at second base, third base, and shortstop this yr whereas counting on a place change for Luke Raley and a deadline rental in Justin Turner to shore up first base.
Between the regular manufacturing of Cal Raleigh and the looming presence of high prospect Harry Ford at Double-A, it’s arduous to think about the membership trying to improve behind the plate this winter. It’s additionally simple to think about the membership staying inside at first base with a platoon of Raley and prospect Tyler Locklear, although that might doubtless be a step backwards from the manufacturing Turner supplied down the stretch in opposition to lefties. Dylan Moore stays a stable utility possibility for the membership off the bench, and it might be one thing of a shock to see the membership transfer on from shortstop J.P. Crawford with two assured years left on his contract.
That leaves second and third base as the simplest locations for the membership to improve, with Jorge Polanco’s $12MM membership possibility unlikely to be picked up and Rojas pretty simple to maneuver right into a part-time function. Given the membership’s common avoidance of serious contracts for place gamers in free company below Dipoto, it’s arduous to think about them going huge for a high infield possibility like Alex Bregman, or Willy Adames. Even so, there might be upgrades to be present in decrease tiers of free company or on the commerce market. Brandon Lowe of the Rays and Nico Hoerner of the Cubs are among the many infield choices who may see their names come up in commerce talks this winter, whereas Gleyber Torres or Ha-Seong Kim might be out there to the Mariners in free company, although they’d doubtless must go outdoors of their typical consolation zone to land both participant.
