The Mariners have a long offseason ahead, but two of their free-agent decisions should not require much debate. Randy Arozarena belongs near the top of Seattle’s priority list. Taylor Ward, on the other hand, should be thanked and sent on his way.
Arozarena just put together the best full season of his career, hitting .281/.381/.484 with 26 home runs, 26 stolen bases and an American League-high 113 runs scored. His .865 OPS ranked sixth in the AL, and his 148 OPS+ showed he was producing 48% better than the league average hitter. That was enough to make him the Mariners MVP pick from the Seattle chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, and it never really felt like a close race.
The reason Arozarena stood out was simple: he kept producing when other key bats faded. Cal Raleigh’s offense fell off, Julio Rodríguez didn’t quite reach his usual standard, and Arozarena kept giving the lineup something real. He brought life to an offense that too often looked like it was waiting around for a three-run homer that never came.
That kind of production is even more valuable when you look at what Seattle has behind him. Lázaro Montes, Michael Arroyo and the rest of the young group give the organization hope, but they can’t be used as a reason to move on from the lineup’s most productive hitter and hope everything works out.
At the same time, the Mariners do need to be careful with the length of the deal. Arozarena will be 32 next season, so this can’t turn into a reckless commitment.
Five or six guaranteed years would be too much. Three guaranteed years with an option for a fourth feels like the cleaner path.
The structure can vary. The urgency cannot.
John Stanton’s recent Q&A added another layer, with the Mariners chairman talking about the risk of signing aging players whose physical tools are on the decline. That concern makes sense. But Seattle also knows exactly what this team looked like without enough impact offense, and this season made it obvious how valuable Arozarena was to the lineup.
The Mariners spent years trying to find another legitimate bat to pair with Rodríguez and Raleigh. They finally got one, watched him deliver a career year, and now face the possibility of letting him walk away for nothing more than payroll relief. That would force them back into the market for a replacement who may not fit as well, or hit as well, either.
Ward’s case is much easier. Seattle traded for him from Baltimore in exchange for three pitchers because his plate discipline, veteran track record and success against left-handed pitching looked like a useful answer for a lineup short on those qualities. At the time of the deal, he carried a .383 on-base percentage.
What followed was a rough run that never really turned around. In 100 plate appearances with the Mariners, Ward hit .115/.230/.138.
He didn’t provide power. He didn’t steady the offense.
He just became another blank space in it.
Could he bounce back elsewhere? Maybe.
But that’s not Seattle’s problem. The Mariners should not let the cost of the trade cloud the next move, because the three pitchers they sent out are already gone from the picture.
Chasing a redemption project with fresh money and more plate appearances would only repeat the mistake.
Seattle made the trade hoping for immediate help. It didn’t get it. The cleanest move now is to clear the spot and use it somewhere better.
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Mariners Face A Left Field Problem They May Not Solve Internally
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Jerry Dipoto has already acknowledged the need to fill that spot, but the internal choices are thin enough that the answer may not be simple. Cal Raleigh, Lazaro Montes, Michael Arroyo and Donovan are among the names being discussed, yet each comes with questions about experience or suitability in the outfield, which is why the Mariners are also being tied to possible trade avenues if they want to strengthen the roster without relying on a stretch. [Read more 🡒]