The Seattle Mariners‘ stated goal this offseason is to bring back as many players as possible from their deep playoff run, but in practice, it’s tough to make that happen.
Seattle secured a five-year deal with trade deadline acquisition Josh Naylor, so the future is set at first base. Bringing back second baseman Jorge Polanco seems to be achievable as well, based on the rhetoric coming out of the Mariners’ front office, and that could leave third baseman Eugenio Suárez as the lone man left out in the cold.
All told, Suárez had the best year of the three, matching a career-high with 49 home runs. He just so happened to do his best work with the Arizona Diamondbacks before the trade deadline, though that shouldn’t erase the memory of his two-homer game with a go-ahead grand slam in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.
If the Mariners are content to let Suárez walk, it’s really anyone’s guess where he winds up, as both contenders and rebuilding teams could use a power bat on a short-term contract.
On Monday, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter predicted that the 34-year-old would wind up with one of the rebuilders: the Washington Nationals, who finished in last place for the fifth time in six years since their lone World Series championship.
“The Nationals are likely still a year or two away from serious contention, especially if they decide to flip MacKenzie Gore this winter, so attracting free-agent talent could be difficult,” wrote Reuter.
“Eugenio Suárez is an interesting case as a player coming off a 49-homer campaign where much of that damage came during the first half of the season. His second-half slump, coupled with the fact that he is 34 years old, could limit his market to two-year deals and eventually drive him toward a team like the Nationals.”
The main reason most prognosticators don’t seem to favor another Mariners-Suárez deal is the money. The Athletic projects the two-time All-Star for a three-year, $69 million deal, which sounds like either the No.1 addition for a team with a lower payroll than Seattle’s (see: Washington) or the No. 2 addition for a team with a higher payroll.
It’s been more than a half-decade since the Nationals made a splash of any kind in free agency. Will the Mariners stand by as that fact is erased this offseason?
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