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Seattle Mariners: What’s on their post-lockout to-do list

ByEric Treuden|
Seattle Mariners logos help set the scene in the Seattle Terrace dining and shopping area of the Flight of Dreams complex in Japan.636747024810893983-20-Seattle-Mariners-logos-help-set-the-scene-in-Seattle-Terrace-dining-and-shoppoig-area-of-the-Flight-of-Dreams-complex-in-Japan.-Photo-Harriet-Baskas.JPG
Seattle Mariners logos help set the scene in the Seattle Terrace dining and shopping area of the Flight of Dreams complex in Japan.636747024810893983-20-Seattle-Mariners-logos-help-set-the-scene-in-Seattle-Terrace-dining-and-shoppoig-area-of-the-Flight-of-Dreams-complex-in-Japan.-Photo-Harriet-Baskas.JPG
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SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 11: Chris Owings #12 of the Colorado Rockies hits a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game agains the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on July 11, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 11: Chris Owings #12 of the Colorado Rockies hits a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game agains the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on July 11, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

The Seattle Mariners should look to bring one more bench bat aboard

The Mariners already have a super-utility player on their major league roster in Dylan Moore. Moore has been an oft-used utility player for the M’s over the past three seasons, playing over 100 games twice and making defensive appearances at every infield and outfield position. Moore will certainly be back for Seattle in 2022, but after struggling on offense and striking out way too frequently in 2021, the Mariners may need to look for a backup to the backup. Enter Chris Owings.

Chris Owings, 30, is your typical journeyman and utilityman. Since a six-year stretch with the Diamondbacks to begin his career, Owings has bounced around from Arizona to Kansas City to Boston to Colorado over the past three seasons. Similarly to Moore, Owings is capable of playing every infield and outfield spot and may still have some untapped potential on the offensive side of things.

In 2021 with the Rockies, Owings played in just 21 games and registered 50 at-bats, but half of his 14 hits were extra-base hits (four doubles, three triples, and a home run) and he put up a .326 batting average. Owings has not gotten an extended look in the big leagues since the 2018 campaign with Arizona, but last year’s small showing in Colorado is certainly encouraging and may be worth taking a look at if you’re the Mariners.

Bringing Chris Owings aboard would jettison one of corner infielder Kevin Padlo or outfielder Taylor Trammell off of the big league roster. Both players struggled in 2021, Trammell to a greater extent, as he hit .160 and struck out in 42% of his at-bats across 51 games. Padlo, on the other hand, made his major league debut last season and registered just one hit in 13 plate appearances between the Rays and Mariners.

Each of Kevin Padlo and Taylor Trammell have options left (Padlo has one and Trammell two), so they can freely be sent down to the minor leagues should a player like Chris Owings fall into the Mariners lap. The versatile journeyman should be available for dirt cheap and can provide value to the M’s should Dylan Moore flop again next year.

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