{"id":91980,"date":"2024-12-13T00:39:16","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T05:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=91980"},"modified":"2024-12-13T00:39:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T05:39:28","slug":"how-mariners-can-improve-on-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/12\/13\/how-mariners-can-improve-on-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Budget-Friendly Ways to Improve the Mariners Offense"},"content":{"rendered":"

Huge contracts from the Seattle Mariners are a rarity, especially when they’re position players. Even more so when they’re free agents. The last major contracts the Mariners handed out were Robinson Cano<\/a>‘s 10-year\/$240 million deal and Nelson Cruz<\/a>‘s four-year\/$57 million deal. It’s fair to call both contracts a success. The pair put up six All-Star appearances and totaled 40.5 WAR in their five seasons in the Emerald City. Seattle’s frugality, however, is no more evident than in recent seasons. The biggest contract given to a free-agent hitter since 2015 is Mitch Garver<\/a>‘s two-year\/$24 million contract.<\/p>\n

But, the Mariners are no stranger to the free-agent market. They’ve increased their spending on hitters over the past two seasons, signing AJ Pollock to a one-year\/$7 million contract in 2023, and Garver in 2o24. However, the Mariners’ payroll is way below where you would expect a contending team in a market like Seattle to be. Multiple reports list the Mariners at 18th in total payroll. That would give them a projected payroll between $135 million and $146 million. Finances have been a problem since John Stanton took over in 2016.<\/p>\n

So, here are some ways the Mariners can make competitive moves on a tight budget.<\/p>\n

Three Ways the Mariners Can Improve On a Budget Moving Forward<\/h2>\n

1. Trade from Pitching Depth<\/h3>\n

The last thing most Mariners fans, and according to most reports until recently, the actual Mariners, want to do is trade from their pitching surplus. But, Seattle has a proven pitching lab as of 2024 which has them sitting on a potential gold mine. One name that’s been thrown around the past week is Luis Castillo<\/a>. Castillo was acquired in 2022 and signed a five-year\/$108M extension the same year. Castillo<\/a> was thrown into the ace role and propelled the Mariners to their first postseason in 21 years. Since 2022, he’s been a reliable innings-eater for Seattle, but he comes at a price. His extension has him netting $21 million annually, which would more than double the Mariners’ projected spending money.<\/p>\n

However, trading him<\/a> would leave a gaping hole in the rotation. Cristopher S\u00e1nchez<\/a> from the Philadelphia Phillies is a great, cheap option, with a salary of $5 million. Alec Bohm<\/a> is another cheap name the Mariners have been circling, so they could package him in with a couple of their top prospects and the third overall pick they just got from the draft lottery.<\/p>\n

Emerson Hancock<\/a> also waits in Tacoma. He’s shown flashes at the big-league level and could be a decent trade option.<\/p>\n

2. Sign Roki Sasaki<\/h3>\n

If a quality name like S\u00e1nchez exceeds the Mariners’ price range, rumors indicate they are also making a “huge push” for Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki<\/a>. Sasaki is a great fit for Seattle. There’s the obvious Japan link with legend Ichiro<\/a> rumored to be on the pitch. More so, Sasaki’s agent recently came out and said that a “soft launch” into a smaller market team would suit him better.<\/p>\n

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The Mariners are planning a full-fledged recruiting pitch for Roki Sasaki that is expected to include Ichiro, the Japanese icon and future Hall of Famer. (via @A_Jude<\/a>) https:\/\/t.co\/wUBvOKXLDR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Seattle Times Sports (@SeaTimesSports) December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n