Talk of Free Agency

 When it comes to free agency the home teams have a chance to sign their own for five days so the Mariners have that chance.

According to mlbtraderumors.com two of the Mariners seven free agents will sign elsewhere and they have two others that will sign with them. They say that Yonder Alonso will sign a two year contract with the Los Angeles Angels and Jarrod Dyson will sign a two year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Alonso will likely be the everyday first baseman with the Angles while Dyson will do the same as he did with the Mariners this last season where he will platoon in centerfield.

So this means that the Mariners will have to go for another first baseman and get another outfielder to replace Dyson. The first baseman rumored come to the Mariners is long time New York Met Lucas Duda. He didn’t have a very good batting average just over two hundred however did hit thirty home runs for the season. In July the Mets traded him to Tampa Bay figuring he would not return. He is expected to sign a one year contract so it won’t be a big deal if he doesn’t work out.  He is a left handed bat so likely it means that the Mariners will let go of or trade Daniel Vogelbach who hits left handed as well. The Mariners could be platooning at first base again with either utility hold over Taylor Motter or Andrew Romine the Mariners picked up on waivers from the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. Romine has played over a hundred games a season so he is accustomed to be a super utility player sort of in the line of former Mariner Mark McLemore. He doesn’t have a high average or much power but can play all nine positions on the field. So he could be the fourth outfielder on the Mariners along with being the emergency catcher. Besides Duda if the Mariners don’t pick up another position player both Romine and Motter could make the roster. Romine is a switch hitter so that helps in his favor to make the roster and he is a veteran utility player the Mariners can use. Knowing Dipoto it will probably not be the last of any moves he makes regarding the infield and outfield.

Another move that mlbtraderumors.com has it that the Mariners will sign veteran right handed reliever Pat Neshek who started the season with the Philadelphia Phillies and was their representative on the All-Star team. He then was traded to the Colorado Rockies. His delivery is a lot like former Mariner Steve Cishek. He would sign a two year contract with the Mariners. In this case he could be used in the setup role in the seventh or eighth inning along with Nick Vincent and Dave Phelps. It would certainly add depth to the Mariners’ bullpen.

There is no talk of any top free agent starting pitchers coming to the Mariners so likely they will have to find it in a trade or two. Since the Mariners have made multiplayer trades in the last two years in November would not surprise me if they pick up a starter this month. I would say it would probably not be a top three starter like the caliber of Paxton, Hernandez and Leake but we could be surprised as well.

The Mariners did put on Drew Smyly on the active roster however I would be surprised if he were ready when the season began though it would be nice for sure. It would be like adding another top three tier pitcher. Whatever the case I wouldn’t be surprised if Erasmo Ramirez would be sent to the bullpen as the long reliever and spot starter. 

Andrew Moore at this point is the most likely to be the fifth starter though Ariel Miranda could hold that spot once again in 2018. If not the Mariners could be going with three lefties in the bullpen however any of three could be involved in any trade that the Mariners make as well. We will see won’t we? November will be an interesting month for sure. Go M’s.