One Mariners Free Agent They Can’t Afford to Lose (and One They Can)

The Mariners will have plenty of complicated decisions to make this offseason. However, Randy Arozarena and Taylor Ward aren’t among them. Arozarena should be one of Seattle’s biggest priorities. Ward should receive a polite thank-you and directions to the nearest airport.

Arozarena just completed the best full season of his career, finishing at .281/.381/.484 with 26 home runs, 26 stolen bases and an American League-leading 113 runs. His .865 OPS was the sixth-best mark in the AL, and his 148 OPS+ meant he produced 48% better than the average hitter.

Those numbers made him the easy choice for Mariners MVP from the Seattle chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Honestly, we didn’t even need a ballot to figure that one out.

Randy Arozarena Earned Another Contract From the Mariners

When Cal Raleigh’s bat collapsed and Julio Rodríguez fell short of his usual star standard, Arozarena continued to show up. He gave the lineup some movement instead of another night of waiting for a three-run homer that never came.

That production becomes even harder to replace when we look at Seattle’s alternatives. Lázaro Montes, Michael Arroyo and the rest of the young core should create excitement. However, they can’t become an excuse for removing the most productive hitter from the lineup and crossing our fingers.

Arozarena will play next season at 32, so Seattle still needs to use some discipline. Five or six guaranteed years would carry too much risk. Three guaranteed seasons with an option for a fourth gives the Mariners a reasonable lane to pursue.

The exact structure can move. But the priority can’t. The other unfortunate piece comes from John Stanton’s most recent Q&A when he spoke about the high-risk of signing aging talent when their physical ability is declining. He has a point. But this team would have been much worse without that aging talent this season.

Seattle spent years searching for another legitimate impact bat to place alongside Rodríguez and Raleigh. It finally had one, watched him produce a career year and now faces the possibility of losing him for nothing more than payroll relief. That would leave the Mariners shopping for a replacement who may not be as good of a fit.

Taylor Ward Gave Seattle Every Reason to Move On

Ward’s stay with the Mariners was short, and somehow it felt endless. Seattle acquired him from Baltimore for three pitchers because his patience, experience and success against left-handed pitching looked like an answer for a lineup running out of them. Ward had a .383 on-base percentage when the trade was completed.

Then he arrived and slashed .115/.230/.138 across 100 plate appearances. He didn’t hit a home run or stabilize the lineup. He became another empty spot inside it. They should end this particular relationship.

Could he rebound somewhere else? Sure. We can wish him well from a safe distance. The Mariners cannot allow the three pitchers they traded to become an excuse for chasing a redemption story. That cost is already gone. Moving those guys didn’t hurt the organization, and it’s not worth giving Ward another contract with fresh money and more plate appearances.

Seattle acquired Ward for immediate help and almost nothing. Admit it, clear the roster spot and find a better use for it.

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