Mariners might be big spenders again this offseason
The Seattle Mariners surprised many people last winter by committing $240 million over 10 years to add Robinson Cano to their lineup. The Mariners, aside from having Felix Hernandez wear their uniform, hadn’t been all that interesting in recent years before spending big to net the top free agent on the market.
The 2014 version of the Mariners — which also included a breakout season by Kyle Seager, but mediocre production from other offseason acquisitions Logan Morrison and Corey Hart — were also better than most expected. They finished a game out of the playoffs.
In the competitive AL West, the Mariners know they can’t sit on their hands and wait for their younger players to develop. They need more pieces to pass the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels, plus not get leapfrogged by what certainly will be a better Texas Rangers team in 2015.
So Seattle is reportedly chasing two of the biggest names on the free-agent market: former Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez and former Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez. That’s according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale:
Both players would help add punch to a Seattle lineup that saw a big falloff after Cano and Seager. Both rank among the top on Jeff Passan’s Ultimate Free-Agent Tracker, with Martinez at No. 3 and Ramirez at No. 6.
Martinez, an AL MVP finalist after hitting 32 homers and 103 RBIs in 2014, would be the DH that the Mariners didn’t have with Hart and Morrison, a feared hitter that would protect Cano in the lineup. Martinez is being pursued by a number of teams, including the Blue Jays and Tigers, so the Mariners have some competition.
Ramirez has said he’s willing to change positions from shortstop for the right deal, but the Mariners don’t need a third baseman with Seager there. Their 24-year-old shortstop Brad Miller hit .221 last season, but he’s still young, so it’s not automatic the Mariners would give up on him. But Ramirez is a bat worthy of retooling your roster a bit.
Signing Ramirez would be expensive, as he’s expected to command upward of $100 million. Martinez, 35, will be costly, but won’t be seeking as long of a contract as Ramirez, 30.
Whether they get them or not, chasing Ramirez and Martinez is a signal from the Mariners. They’re not trying to sink back to the AL West basement. They’re in win-now mode.
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
