What outfielders could Seattle target in free agency?
There are a clear tier of impact outfielders that are available on the free agent market. While Aaron Judge is out of the question, what outfielders could be in the mix for Seattle?
The Seattle Mariners acquired Kolten Wong last week, filling one crucial need for the team. With the second base position filled, the club will now look to address other needs. While pitching needs still remain, the outfield becomes Seattle’s greatest need. Could they finally turn to free agency to address it?
During Jerry Dipoto’s tenure, the Mariners have often not addressed needs through free agency, especially on the position player side. Robbie Ray was a free agent signing, but aside from minor league free agency, the Mariners have generally stayed away from this.
This comes from the fact that the Mariners front office would rather stay away from big money deals, especially of the multi-year variety. Seattle made an offer to Marcus Semien last year but was unwilling to meet his year requirements.
There are several players on this year’s market that would help this roster. These players also would fit Seattle’s perceived preferences on contract years. I believe Seattle will move to land one of the big names on the outfield market this winter.
The first and most obvious one is still Mitch Haniger. I am going to continue to believe Seattle is the front-runner to bring back Haniger until he officially signs with another team.
He has been through a lot with the Mariners organization and could still fit on this roster. While the addition of Teoscar Hernández makes the fit harder to see, don’t count out Haniger here.
Andrew Benintendi is a player who Ryan Divish and Daniel Kramer have both softly linked as a fit for the Mariners. He won’t break the bank and is a good player who would help out the Mariners on offense and defense.
Brandon Nimmo is the most obvious and clear option in the outfield, but he may also be the most coveted outfielder on the market. You can check out my profile on him here, but his profile screams Jerry Dipoto to me.
Masataka Yoshida is the most likely player on this list to come to Seattle outside of Mitch Haniger. There were reports about Yoshida and Seattle early in the offseason but things have gone quiet. His bat would help them replicate what they thought they could get in Jesse Winker, so keep an eye on him as an option.
There is also a group of players who are in a riskier category, the bounceback candidates. In my opinion, Seattle needs to add one more capable producer in their outfield, but if they do so taking a flier on one of these guys may make sense.
Leading this category is Michael Conforto, the Redmond native. After missing all of last season with a shoulder injury, Conforto could remain home and try to regain his value on a one-year deal. he would be an intriguing option if they brought in a player like Haniger.
The other two that fit in this category are Joey Gallo and Cody Bellinger. Seattle showed interest in Gallo at the deadline and could make him a priority this offseason. Bellinger has a high upside but comes with tremendous risk.
I fully expect Seattle to engage in the outfield market this Winter because it should be reasonably priced. They need to put pieces in place in this outfield and lineup around Julio Rodríguez, and this is the offseason to find it.
They have been linked to Nimmo and Yoshida this offseason, and we know Haniger is still on the table. I expect them to dip into this market at some point this offseason, potentially sooner rather than later.