Michael Brantley scouting report and fit with the Mariners
On Tuesday Jim Bowden linked the Mariners to former Astro Michael Brantley. Is a Brantley move realistic for Seattle?
In a recent column in The Athletic, writer and former front office executive Jim Bowden linked the Mariners to outfielder Michael Brantley. Brantley is a former Houston Astro and has spent the last 14 seasons in the American League, including the last four in the AL West.
Bowden has been flat-out wrong about Mariners rumors in the past, so don’t put too much stock in his rumors. The fit is interesting however and Seattle could become interested in a player like Brantley to give them offensive help. He will have many other suitors, but let’s take a look at Brantley’s fit in Seattle.
First of all, Brantley doesn’t exactly fit what seemed to be Seattle’s plan going into the offseason. They wanted four outfielders who could all rotate through DH and the outfield positions, and more recently they said they prefer a right-handed bat that can play the outfield and spell Jarred Kelenic against lefties.
Brantley is nearly a full-time DH, but still has played left field a decent amount considering he has been on the same roster as Yordan Alvarez. In his 64 games, last season the 35 year old played left field 29 times. Houston has said they would like to play Álvarez more often in the outfield next year which could open the possibility for a Brantley return.
It was nearly a 50/50 split for him to play outfield and designated hitter, but his season also ended due to shoulder surgery. He has also had multiple knee surgeries during his career and should probably mostly stay away from the outfield.
Brantley has been a below-average outfielder but not nearly as bad as Jesse Winker was last season. Last season he was -1 Outs Above Average and was only -2 in his last full season in 2021. Most of this action is coming in a tiny left field in Houston, so his struggles may be magnified in T-Mobile Park.
Jesse Winker played 118 games in left field last season for Seattle, producing -10 Outs Above Average. Brantley has never been ranked that low in his big league career.
While his defense is a concern, any team signing Michael Brantley is doing so to acquire his bat. Brantley struggled in his first few seasons in the MLB but has been a well above average bat ever since.
Over his last six MLB seasons Brantley has produced an average WRC+ of 124. This is extremely impressive, especially for a player who has dealt with a ton of injuries throughout his career.
Last season in 64 games Brantley put together a 127 WRC+, proving that when healthy the bat is still impactful. While he would not provide much power to the Mariners, the Florida native almost never strikes out. He is nearly the ultimate “control the zone” player, striking out less than he walked last season.
His Baseball Savant page over his career is enough to make you drool. He doesn’t fit perfectly on this roster, but adding a bat of his caliber could be enticing to any General Manager.
Adding a veteran hitter to this lineup is something Jerry Dipoto could be interested in, especially as a super upgrade to Carlos Santana’s role from last season. Seattle could use a left-handed bat and a clubhouse presence like Brantley for many reasons, but the number one reason is how much he would add to this lineup.
I believe he fits much better on this team than a player like JD Martinez because he can actually play some outfield, though he shouldn’t play much. Adding a monster on-base percentage to this lineup immediately adds value and makes this lineup one of the best in baseball.
Seattle wants a right-handed bat to protect Kelenic against tough lefties, but Brantley could still be an option here. Over the course of his career he has hit .270 against left-handed pitching and last season put together a higher average against same-handed pitchers.
Handedness should not matter if Seattle could find a player like Brantley who can produce against both lefties and righties.
There are a few other reasons why Seattle could be a fit for a player like Brantley. His father Mickey Brantley played for the Mariners for four seasons back in the 1980s giving Brantley a chance to follow in his father’s footsteps.
The main reason why we shouldn’t rule out this interest is that Brantley will likely get a short-term deal. We have seen many designated hitters in the last few years get one or two year deals, and the Mariners could be involved in this. Seattle clearly doesn’t want to do long-term deals, so a short-term deal seems like low risk and high reward.
After my deep dive, I think he would be a really nice fit in this lineup, much better than I would have expected. All of this being said I doubt Seattle will be interested in Brantley.