The Seattle Mariners were on the cusp of the postseason in 2021. Can the Mariners take that next step by adding some firepower to their offense in the form of free agent infielder Marcus Semien?
Here’s why Marcus Semien makes sense for the Seattle Mariners
We previewed Semien as he was tied at the top of the list for the top free agent available this offseason. Last season, the 31-year-old Semien set a single-season record for second basemen in Major League Baseball history with 45 home runs. That and his 102 RBI were both career-highs, and he played both shortstop (21 games) and second base (147 games) for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Those are all things that would play well in Seattle, and will be needed in 2022, especially with the Mariners declining a $20 million club option on Kyle Seager, a third baseman who smacked 35 homers for Seattle last season. The Mariners will need to make up that power loss somewhere and adding Semien in free agency would be an ideal way to do that.
With J.P. Crawford settled in at shortstop (and coming off a season where he slashed .273/.338/.376 with nine homers and 54 RBI), Semien could come in at second base for the Mariners and be an instant improvement over the Abraham Toro and Dylan Moore combination that held down second base last season.
Mariners president of baseball operation Jerry Dipoto has already said this offseason that his team is looking for ”adaptable” players who are “willing to move around the field.” That certainly fits Semien, a durable player who saw action in 159 games in 2018, and 162 games in both 2019 and 2021.
Let’s also not forget that Semien has already had plenty of experience in the American League West, spending six of his nine MLB seasons with the Oakland A’s.
Of course, Semien will come with a high price tag, especially after hiring Scott Boras to represent him heading into 2022. Coming off a one-year, $18 million deal with the Blue Jays, Semien will be looking to cash in on his 2021 success. With the Mariners slicing Seager’s salary, would that signal an uneasiness about a big contract? It seems unlikely, especially after earlier comments about Seattle upping its payroll as it chases a postseason spot.
On the surface, Semien in Seattle seems like a perfect fit.