Mariners reportedly looking for left-handed hitting second baseman
Mariners reportedly looking for left-handed hitting second baseman
Reports have linked the Mariners to second baseman across the league, especially players that hit from the left side. With Seattle seemingly out of the shortstop market, who could they turn to?
Last night Ken Rosenthal reported that the Seattle Mariners are more likely to target a left-handed infielder than dipping into the shortstop market. This sent Seattle fans into a frenzy on Twitter, complaining about the front office and their incapability of signing big-name free agents.
The reality is there are a lot of good options on the trade market that wouldn't require a long-term commitment. Adding dollars to the payroll does not always mean the players will be better, and there are other ways to build a team. Seattle knows they need to get better, and there are many players out there who could help them do so.
One of these players we have talked about a lot already is Kolten Wong. You can read about Wong and his fit with Seattle here. Wong is a very good player and would be a good fit with this current team, but Seattle may set their sights higher and leave him as a fallback plan.
Brandon Lowe is another name that we will cover soon and who could be an option for Seattle. He is a left-handed power bat at second base and the Mariners are said to have checked in on him, albeit from a questionable source in Jim Bowden. Rosenthal also mentioned Lowe as an option.
Seattle is also said to have checked in on Gleyber Torres but he hits right-handed. If we are limiting the options to left-handed players only there are a few options that are somewhat outside the box.
We know Jerry Dipoto loves outside-the-box targets and solutions, so who could fit that mold? While there aren’t too many left-handed only hitters who could be infield options but interestingly two of them play for the Miami Marlins.
Joey Wendle is going into the final year of his deal and could be an option as he doesn’t fit the timeline for the Marlins. He isn’t exactly the sexiest option but is a good player, but not quite an impact player.
Jazz Chisholm is an extremely dynamic player for the Marlins and has been rumored to be a poor fit in the clubhouse. We know Seattle has a reputation for being a player-friendly clubhouse which could make Chisholm a potential fit. He would be extremely expensive to acquire with four years of club control left.
Ozzie Albies is a switch hitter who is better from the right side but could be a creative albeit unlikely addition especially coming off an injury-filled 2022. Jeff McNeil is a tremendous hitter from the left side but it is tough to see what the Mets would want for him.
Jorge Polanco is another player Seattle could target, as he is a switch hitter coming off somewhat of a down season. Polanco is better from the left side and is clearly better suited to be a second baseman over a shortstop. With more options coming in the middle infield for the Twins, they could look to move Polanco this offseason.
The Twins would likely covet a player like Matt Brash and more for Polanco, as they need MLB-caliber starting pitching. Polanco may be expensive, but he is exactly the type of player Jerry Dipoto would love.
Cavan Biggio is a left-handed bat in Toronto but isn’t the offensive upgrade the Mariners would like. Tommy Edman is an interesting option but would be extremely expensive coming off a fabulous 2022.
Seattle needs an impact bat and we know Jerry Dipoto will be creative in trying to locate and acquire it. Free agency may be tough for the Mariners to break into in the shortstop market, so the trade market seems likely. While multi-year options exist in expensive fashion, it seems most likely Seattle will target a one-year player like Wong to fill this need.