3 destinations for former Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager

One of the hottest free-agents on the market this off-season will be former Seattle Mariners third-baseman Kyle Seager.

On October 7th, 2021, it was uncertain whether or not Kyle Seager would be walking off the field for the last time as a Seattle Mariners‘ infielder. After an expressive 1-0 victory the previous day against the Texas Rangers, Seattle would follow it up with a 4-3 loss to Texas and watch their playoff hopes slip right through their hands.

In addition to that, it was the season finale where Kyle Seager would receive an emotional farewell consisting of cheers and chants. It was almost as if the fans already knew it was the end of the relationship. On October 31st, sources confirmed that Seager received confirmation that the Mariners would not exercise his 2022 option — in an email from assistant general manager Justin Hollander. Yes, you read that correctly — via email. Reports indicate Seager was contacted via phone or text, but still a harsh ending for someone who spent their entire 11-year career with.

Seager would have been paid $20 million for the 2022 MLB season, but instead will receive a $2 million buyout and become a free-agent. He will be a hot commodity this off-season and here are three likely suitors for the veteran third-baseman.

Detroit Tigers

To put this in simple words, the Detroit Tigers need someone that can hit the ball.

As a team, Detroit finished 24th in the MLB in team home runs, and 20th in team RBI’s. The reality is they may be competitive in 2022, but still aren’t playoff contenders. Since hiring new manager A.J. Hinch, they’ve seemed to focus on low-risk, high-reward signings.

They’ll likely continue that with an affordable utility bat like Seager. Both Jeimer Candelario and Harold Castro are younger players that have been used at third-base, but adding a guy that can consistently give you 25+ homeruns will be key to improving their success as a team both at the plate and in the field.

Milwaukee Brewers

Although they made the playoffs with a NL-Central best 95-67 record, the Milwaukee Brewers finished the 2021 season 27th in team hits. This means they desperately need to bolster their lineup.

They do indeed have five players up for the All-MLB team including; Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, and Devin Williams. The 24-year old Luis Urias spent some time at the end of the season at third base, but his ideal position is shortstop. Willy Adames spent some time at shortstop, but an addition with a power bat like Seagers’ to go alongside Urias could be exactly what they need to take that extra step to not only compete again in 2022, but possibly the next step into the World Series.

Chicago Cubs

It will likely be another off-season where Chicago Cubs fans will be expecting a bonanza of an off-season with a ton of big-time signings.

Yet, it may be more realistic to look at guys like Seager to fill their need at third base. Sure, Kyle’s brother Corey would be a more flashy signing, but Corey will likely only sign with Chicago if money is his biggest priority. Kyle would be a cheaper option, and fills a huge need at the hot corner, and veteran presence in the clubhouse.

Not to mention, he is coming off a 35 homerun and 101 RBI season. Cubs fans are thinking right now, “We have Patrick Wisdom. They are the same player.” They’re not, and Wisdom can also play some first base and left field like he has in the past. This could give them some extra pop in the lineup.

In contrast, while Seager did hit 35-plus home-runs and 100-plus RBI’s, he did still manage to strike out a lot. In fact, Seager struck out 24 percent of the time this season, which is the highest mark in his 11-year career. Most of the strikeouts were out of the zone as well, so if he can get that adjusted this off-season he could be a sneaky pick-up for someone and provide them with the veteran presence and reliable power bat that they desire.