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The AL West: An interim report on front office work

By Bill Felber

May 25, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports /
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Eugenio Suarez and Adam Frazier. Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Eugenio Suarez and Adam Frazier. Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports /

Seattle Mariners front office, -1.7

The off-season headlines talked up a healthy free agent class, pitcher Robbie Ray and outfielder Justin Upton among them. Trades that brought in Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez also stoked enthusiasm.

As always, Dipoto was active, making 38 personnel moves. Thus far, only 11 of them have worked out in Seattle’s favor – 20 are negative and seven neutral – and most of the headline acquisitions have generated modest value at best. But the arrival of one rookie has proven to be the real headline-grabber.

April 7: When the front office announced during the spring that rookie Julio Rodriguez would make the opening day roster, it imposed great expectations on the 21 year old. Rodriguez has proven his value. A front-line Rookie of the Year candidate, he’s batting .277 with 15 home runs and a league-leading 21 steals. It works out to a solid .823 OPS. His defense, while not yet All Star level, is modestly positive. His value measures +2.4 WAA.

Nov. 27. Did the Mariners front office really believe that Adam Frazier, obtained in a trade with San Diego, would play a meaningful role? He hasn’t. Taking over at second base, he has labored to a .219 average and .576 OPS, the worst half season of his seven-year career. Frazier is carrying a -1.7 WAA.

March 14. The Winker-Suarez trade – coming over in exchange for four players—has produced mixed results. They are the third and fourth most impactful moves, but only one has been helpful. Winker is batting .226 with just  six homers and a .678 OPS, working out to -1.3 WAA. The good news involves Suarez. He’s only hitting .236  with 112 strikeouts, but he also has 13 homers and a .755 OPS. Suarez’s value to date amounts to +1.0 WAA.

Nov. 3. Tyler Anderson had an unremarkable 2021 for the Mariners, winning just two of his 13 starts with a 4.81 ERA. So the m’s let him go to free agency, Anderson signed with the Dodgers, and out of nowhere he is having a first-rate season. In 13 starts for the dodgers, Anderson is 9-1 with a career-best 3.09 ERA, allowing just 74 hits in 84 innings. Among 25 pitchers used by the Mariners so far in 2022, only Logan Gilbert has a better WAA than Anderson’s +1.0.

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