The Seattle Mariners need to commit to the farm system one way or another

For the 22nd time in 23 seasons, the Seattle Mariners missed the playoffs.

There are many reasons why the Pacific Northwest is missing October’s baseball game: the historically poor offense (for the most part), the overcomplicated nature of the instruction from former hitting coaches Brant Brown and Jarrett DeHart, the Mariners’ inability to field a consistent lineup for most games the season and Julio Rodriguez, who is out for three weeks due to injury, are just a few of them.

But Seattle is now looking to 2025 and hoping that this team will finally get over the crisis.

There are many different options the Mariners can explore in the offseason. Trades, free agents, whatever. Will they actually do that? Who knows?

But they should do it.

Even if Seattle doesn’t tackle some of the bigger names like Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman (I’m only leaving out Juan Soto because the odds of them signing him are about as good as the odds of pigs flying), they have to give a try to acquire someone who offers similar value. Maybe someone they almost brought in at that last trade deadline.

The Mariners were reportedly one of the final two or three teams in the running for Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz in the final hours of the July 30 deadline, just days after signing teammate Randy Arozarena. have swapped.

First base is still a position that is desperately needed, and there is no reason why the team shouldn’t try again for the All-Star title in 2023 other than his salary ($10 million in year 2025, according to Spotrac). Star.

There are no definitive reports as to why Seattle ended up missing out on Diaz, but it’s believed that the asking price included at least a few top-20 Mariners prospects, something Seattle wasn’t willing to deal with.

But therein lies the problem. If the Mariners don’t use their prospects to improve the roster through trades, there has to be a way to let them try to make the major league roster.

On the surface, it might seem a bit unfair for the organization to clamor for more prospects to get a chance. After all, the four best starting pitchers in baseball were all drafted and developed by Seattle, and Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh are both homegrown.

But there are a few other examples of some players not getting real opportunities.

When the Mariners traded Ty France in July, it was assumed that the keys to first base would be handed over to Tyler Locklear. He was called up on July 23 after spending two weeks with the team in June.

Locklear didn’t play well. He struggled on defense and offense and was optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma on July 30. He hit .156 with two homers and three RBIs in 45 at-bats this year. He wasn’t officially assessed an error, but there were several errors at first base during his stint in July.

For the rest of the year, Seattle initially had a successful platoon of Luke Raley and Justin Turner. But Raley, coming off a career season, is best used in a utility role as first base/designated hitter/fourth outfielder, and Turner is about to enter his age-40 season and is a free agent. First, there must be a long-term answer. And Locklear didn’t get a chance to play under hitting coaches Edgar Martinez and Dan Wilson when they were hired on Aug. 22.

And the short looks weren’t just reserved for Locklear.

Ryan Bliss was another player who made stop-and-go appearances in the majors this season. Bliss played better than Locklear. Bliss batted .222 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 63 at-bats. He played 177 innings at second base, committing one error in 79 total chances and helping to turn 14 double plays.

He was another player not allowed to play under Wilson and Martinez.

These are just two examples of top Seattle prospects not having enough time to learn and develop in the big leagues, and that can’t happen again in 2025.

If the Mariners decline Jorge Polanco’s option, there will be a hole at second base (something that has become common since the Robinson Cano trade in 2018). Cole Young, the team’s second-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is an option at number two alongside Bliss. And if the team actually declines Polanco’s option and doesn’t commit to bringing in a crucial bat to fill the position, the reins will have to be handed over to the interested parties.

Typically, a team competing for the playoffs and the World Series doesn’t hand over the key to a critical position to players from the minor leagues. But Seattle is stuck in no man’s land. They have missed the playoffs in three of four seasons despite posting four straight winning records. And when big-name free agents and trade acquisitions are off the table, there’s only one option left.

“We built the model on developing our own players,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a media scrum Saturday. “Development of a young, sustainable squad. A lot of the young players you see here today are young, young players. But many of them will be in the big leagues much sooner than you think. Guys like (Lazaro Montes), Michael Arroyo and Colt Emerson who have had remarkable years, Ryan Bliss, Tyler Locklear who are right on the doorstep, I would include Brandyn Garcia in that group, a lot of our holes over the years.

“And it was felt more on the pitching side than the position player side. But I think you have to start somewhere. And since Scott Hunter became our scouting director, we have drafted, signed and developed more Major League players than any other team in baseball. And that’s the backbone of what we do, and we’re not going to change that.

And that’s the point. Players he mentioned like Bliss, Young and Locklear need to be let through the door and given a truly sustained chance to prove they can be answers. Ford, a catcher and another player Dipoto mentioned, is currently stuck in a no-win situation with backup catcher Mitch Garver still with the team for at least another season and Raleigh in the long-term (and probably big) game Team will be -money) expansion. If the team can’t move past Garver in the offseason and Ford has to play at least another year in the minor leagues, his status as a two-time All-Star futures participant and top prospect in baseball should remain enough to keep someone like him Hitting Diaz at first base.

And keep in mind that all the positions I’ve talked about so far are second and first base. If the team does not tender Josh Rojas and Luis Urias, that is another position that needs to be filled. And even if the team brings one or both of them back in some capacity, one could argue that the position needs improvement anyway.

If Seattle really is that reluctant to spend money on free agents, then the minor leagues must be the answer. Either package up some players and get someone, or trust in their development and give them the opportunity to contribute

But if the Mariners decide to do a repeat of last season and simply move these players between Triple-A and the majors, then that would be another missed opportunity and the “best farm system in baseball” would be just the name alone.

The Mariners’ top prospects continue to rack up accolades: Seattle Mariners prospect Lazaro Montes has had several eventful days; He received several awards from the team and the league. CLICK HERE

DIPOTO COMMENTS ON THE MARINERS’ SALARY SHEET: Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke before Saturday’s game against the Oakland Athletics about several factors heading into the offseason, including the team’s payroll flexibility. CLICK HERE

MARINERS CATCHER MAKES MLB HISTORY: Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh broke a franchise and MLB record in the team’s season finale against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. CLICK HERE

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