Why The #Mariners Are “More Appealing Team To Play For” w/ Jon Morosi | #SeattleSports

Why The #Mariners Are “More Appealing Team To Play For” w/ Jon Morosi | #SeattleSports

Hey JP, as we turn now towards the off seasonason and free agency beginning tomorrow, the news came out today that Jorge Palano officially declined his player option. Not surprising. I know everyone kind of expected that, but with him as a free agent and such a key piece of this Mariners team this past season, what might he be looking at? Multi-year, one year, a lot of money, Dave was asking me what would it be? What would this second baseman contract range? I said, I don’t know. I’ll ask John Marosi about it cuz he’s coming on later. So, what do you think Jorge Palano might be looking for? And is it feasible for the Mariners to bring him back? Well, the Mariners have a lot of work to do here and I think that so next week are the GM meetings and as we know in Major League Baseball and and just take Palanco for example, how long it took him to sign last off season. This is not a a quick free agent frenzy and you’re done as you see sometimes see in the NBA or the NHL or or even the NFL. So, uh this is going to take a while. I think that the macro point I’ll make about the Mariners infield is you have not just Palano but Naylor and Suadz all free agents. That’s that is a part of the club that needs some attention. Uh Williamson certainly you love the glove. Is he able to play every day? You don’t know based on on the bat. What’s Cole Young’s situation? How close is Emerson to helping? Um, they need, I think, at least two veterans for for this infield and maybe even maybe even three. I I think the Mariners will will make a legitimate effort as you talk about different options. There’s two significant Japanese bats coming over this off season. Munitaka Murakami, a big-time lefty bat, and then Kazuma Okamoto, a big time righty bat. Uh, who are both corner infielders. Both would fit the Mariners well, I believe. And so, I think those are two names to watch carefully. But I I think Palano was probably in the range of three times 15 is probably what a a fair price would be at the outset. But listen, he played so well. He was one of this team’s best players in the postseason. So the Mariners have some work to do and and some money to spend just to get back to being as good as they were this year. And and as far as I’m concerned, they have some more work to do to be able to to really get to where they want to go. and and and win a World Series potentially. So, I I think that the Mariners uh signing Palanka would be a nice start, but that cannot be the end. I I think that the Mariners are going to be looking at the potential of either spending some significant money in free agency to have that good of a team again, or you probably have to start considering the possibility of of trading one of your younger controllable arms to get the bat that you need. uh if if you’re going to go shopping in the trade market for someone like an Alec Bow or a a Yandi Diaz with Tampa names we’ve talked about before, but I I I do think this is this is another time for the Mariners to revisit what they want their club to look like now. Uh not just for 26, but beyond. Well, do you think JP I think I think fans are going to think, okay, they went all in and they really did what we wanted them to do at the trade deadline. Do you think fans are going to expect them to Okay, this should be a lesson learned that in the off season now let’s let’s be aggressive. let’s sign. Do you think anything’s going to change based on, you know, what what they saw with the results because they they kind of took off and, you know, that was uh those were the the two right guys in Suarez and and uh and Naylor that, you know, maybe we should change our ways and be more active as far as trades in the offseason. Well, it was certainly a healthy year for the club from a standpoint of revenue and and and obviously the postseason revenues are part of that equation. they have, in my estimation, a really good case to go out there and spend some significant money. And and I I think that at the very least, I I’ll I’ll sort of take one step back and say the following. a team that can spend good money on bats in free agency, whether it’s again Murakami or even bringing back your own guys like Naylor and Suarez. Teams can spend when they obviously have the money coming in, which they do. Good year at the gate, good year, partnerships, sponsorships, all those different things that go into it when you have a successful playoff run. That’s part of the Mariner story right now. But when your rotation is relatively inexpensive, I say relatively, it allows you to allocate more money elsewhere on your club. Also, the belief that with a a a good farm system, I actually spoke today with a a different GM from the National League. We were just talking baseball today and he said to me, I think Seattle’s got the best system in baseball is what he said to me. So, that’s pretty high praise. And and that’s another form of currency and capital to where all right, if your system is that good, you should be able to move up one of these players into an everyday role. And then that allows you to free up the money to really go after a a significant bat. And and hey, while we’re talking about it, is there any reason why with a team that’s this good that they should not be in the market for Pete Alonzo? Why not? Right? he’s he plays first base and right now the Mariners don’t have a first baseman for next season. So, and and again, Mitch Garver’s money comes off the books. So, there’s there are some some different reasons to believe that the Mariners should be involved on on some of the biggest names out there and and I I think that when you think about those those corner infield types, whether it’s Murakami, whether it’s Alonzo, um again, we’ve talked before about Bregman. I don’t know if that would be tough for Seattle fans given the Houston rivalry. I was I was considering that today. How um how do Dave and Bob and Mike feel about breakfast? We can talk about it today because Bob’s not here. Okay. Cuz I I was I was thinking to myself, I know what Bob would say, but I don’t know how Mike and Dave necessarily feel about that. He was actually I I’ll be honest. I’ve got my list of free agents and guys that I want to talk about today on the show. And right there, Pete Alonzo is the third guy on my list. And uh Kyle Schwarber, he’s another guy. I mean, like, at this point, the the the piece of the puzzle here for the Mariners to consider is is is do you want to have a full-time DH or do you want to rotate different guys through it? Would you consider a Bo Bashette to play second base? Wouldn’t that be fascinating? Of course, uh from from the Toronto Blue Jays, um Cody Bellinger at first base would make some sense. I mean, the the the Mariners are fortunate that what they need is available in the market right now. And they also have become, I believe, a more appealing team to play for than they were a year ago because more players who are free agents have seen what they can do. Even someone like a Glaver Torres, for example, he’s he’s a free agent now after helping the Tigers get to the division series and face the Mariners. And he probably gave the the Tigers their best at bats in that series against the Mariners. Cabber Torres is someone that I think could also fit the Mariners depending on what the role is and how you want to play it out. So the the the Mariners are lucky that they they have chances to address their needs with this free agent market and very few other teams have the combination of controllable pitching. Still, it’s less controllable than it used to be, but it’s relatively inexpensive. And then the prospect base allows them if they want to spend big for one player and then fill in other needs by trading prospects, they also have the wherewithal to do that. So, I I think the Mariners are one of the most fascinating teams to talk about anywhere in baseball because of of their combination of appealing roster, clear-cut needs, and the resources both in terms of cash and prospects that they have to go pursue those needs. Well, JP, we are not patient. We want immediate answers. We want results of this player will sign now, Josh Naylor signed here tomorrow. We don’t like waiting, but we know it’s going to be a drawn out process. So, with the nature of free agency, as you outlined, are there any guys that logically make sense that you kind of think, okay, they’ll end up here. This team might be going that list that you have, anyone that you think, okay, I’m going to pencil in this guy here. And who might be the guy or who do you think could sign early to kind of set this off and set everything in motion? I would say the the the quickest signings will probably come from the market that the Mariners are not the most directly involved in, which is going to be the free agent pitching. And and that’s because there are not as many guys there. Most teams need to upgrade their pitching. The Mariners don’t really necessarily, but I’m talking about Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Dylan CE, uh maybe a Zack Gallon, those types of arms. I look for a team that’s going to step up in a big way early in the offseason. the San Francisco Giants. Not necessarily for a starter, although they could certainly get one, but that to but that to me is a team. They’ve got a new manager, Buster Posey, now a full he’s just fully comfortable in the role that he’s got. I I I look at that ball club and say one of those pitchers could certainly fit. Of course, Justin Verlander is now a free agent. Uh but I I like I like Suarez, Valdez, maybe even CE one of those guys going to San Francisco. And then I think on the on the opposite side of things, the team that I think could really drive the market on the on the position player front is the New York Mets. Uh I mentioned Pete Alonzo and said, “Hey, he’d be a great fit with the Mariners.” Honestly, they should want Pete Alonzo. Uh but the Mets, if they really are serious about bringing him back, I think we should know that relatively early at this point. If they don’t sign him relatively quickly, why why would they still have a big back and forth here? I mean that that deal should be done by the winter meetings. And if it’s not, then I think there’s a decent chance that he’s leaving. And then I also think that Bo Bashette did himself a ton of favors by the way that he played during that World Series. I I I wonder though for him to be a fit for the Mariners, he’d have to say, “Yeah, I’m all in on being a second baseman or a third baseman because obviously shortstop uh is is JP Crawford’s until further notice.” Hey J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J JP, I I was looking at I think my the biggest disappointment last year were it wasn’t the the rotation so much as like the injuries that happened and maybe is Bryce Miller the one that was plagued the most and you know probably could have had because if you look at their numbers in 2024, amazing. I mean as far as quality starts, opponent batting average, um I mean just on and on and on. They were number one in almost every category and and I guess you can’t say that they underperformed. It was just more about injuries and just I don’t know bad luck I guess. Yeah, I think that the that was a a legitimate issue obviously injuries and and I think on some level it’s really hard uh in in this day and age Dave to have the same group of starting pitchers be that healthy year after year after year. I mean, even even the smartest teams, look at the Dodgers and how many different starters they had to have. Uh, Toronto actually had a pretty healthy group, uh, all things considered this season. But I think if you have if you have a core of six or seven starting pitchers that are mostly healthy, uh, even sort of figuring that one or maybe two will be hurt for a significant length of time, that’s that’s the base case for me at at this time in in in baseball. just the velocity is so great, the stuff is so nasty. So many guys are throwing splitters now, and that’s not necessarily the easiest pitch on your arms, long-term health to throw it. So, I I I think it’s honestly just part of part of the cost of doing business at this point in time. And uh I I think actually the Mariners do a pretty good job of keeping their guys healthy. It wasn’t as though they, you know, while they did have some injuries, Dave, it wasn’t as though they all of a sudden changed their practices from 24 to 25 and that was what led to it. I think they’ve just got a lot of really big time power arms that are susceptible to injuries, like anybody that throws super hard does. I think one of the biggest things they’ve got to make sure that they insulate uh and and obviously they picked up Andres Munoz’s option is maybe insulating him a little bit because he threw a ton including a lot of multi-ining outings during the course of the postseason. If I were them, I would look at bringing in someone maybe like a Robert Suarez who was a free agent now from the from the Padres’s. I don’t think they’ll they’ll bring back Edwin Diaz necessarily, but I I would if I were the Mariners, I would be aggressive in in looking to add and layer in to my to my bullpen because I I I don’t want to feel like I’ve got to go to the well with Brash, with Spire, with uh with Munoz because I will say this for absolute certainty, okay? that when you when you have one deep playoff run one year, really the first time this group of guys has has been through this as a unit and then you come back the next year, those relievers, that same group will not all be as good as they were this year. They just just the the law of averages says this is probably not going to be the case. And it’s also harder to come back when you pitch a seven-mon season than a six-mon season. So, they would be very smart in my opinion to to get some arms in who didn’t have to throw quite as many innings out of the bullpen, leverage innings. Like, go look at the Colorado Rockies roster. go look at the Chicago White Socks roster and and and start plucking some guys from there that that were not overworked in 25 that could really help you in 26 because otherwise I think that’s the part of the club for me Dave more even more so than the rotation that I have some legitimate concern about entering 2026. Okay, sounds great JP. We’ll talk to you next week. All the best. Looking forward to it, guys.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network joins Mike Lefko (in for Bob Stelton) and Dave Wyman (Wyman & Bob) to discuss the beginning of the MLB offseason, M’s priorities + players available, and the why Seattle is uniquely positioned to make a splash.

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0:00 – Jorge Polanco’s future $ potential?
3:00 – How team could change based on ’25 results
8:15 – Some logical early signings this offseason
10:35 – Mariners pitching health

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Listen to The Wyman & Bob Show weekdays from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. live on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports App, or on-demand wherever you listen to podcasts.
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