In his first offseason on the job, new GM Jerry Dipoto aggressively turned over the Mariners’ roster, augmenting a talented core with a collection of complementary pieces that should be better fits than last year’s were.
Major League Signings
- Hisashi Iwakuma, SP (re-signed): one year, $12MM, plus club/vesting options for 2017 and 2018
- Nori Aoki, OF: one year, $5.5MM
- Chris Iannetta, C: one year, $4.25MM (plus 2017 option)
- Steve Cishek, RP: two years, $10MM plus up to $3.5MM in bonuses
- Franklin Gutierrez, OF (re-signed): one year, $1.5MM plus up to $4.25MM in bonuses
- Guillermo Heredia, OF: Major League deal (around $500K)
Notable Minor League Signings
- Dae-ho Lee, Ryan Cook, Dainer Moreira, Gaby Sanchez (since released), Joel Peralta, Efren Navarro, Justin De Fratus, Blake Parker
Trades And Claims
- Acquired P Nate Karns, P C.J. Riefenhauser and OF Boog Powell from Rays for SS Brad Miller, 1B Logan Morrison and P Danny Farquhar
- Acquired 1B Adam Lind from Brewers for P Carlos Herrera, P Daniel Missaki and P Freddy Peralta
- Acquired P Wade Miley and P Jonathan Aro from Red Sox for P Carson Smith and P Roenis Elias
- Acquired P Joaquin Benoit from Padres for P Enyel De Los Santos and SS Nelson Ward
- Acquired OF Leonys Martin and P Anthony Bass (since released) from Rangers for P Tom Wilhelmsen, OF James Jones and IF/OF Patrick Kivlehan
- Acquired IF Luis Sardinas from Brewers for OF Ramon Flores
- Acquired P Evan Scribner from Athletics for P Trey Cochran-Gill
- Acquired C Steve Clevenger from Orioles for 1B Mark Trumbo and P C.J. Riefenhauser
- Acquired P Joe Wieland from Dodgers for SS Erick Mejia
- Acquired P Ryne Harper and cash from Braves for P Jose Ramirez
- Claimed C Rob Brantly from White Sox
- Claimed P Cody Martin from Athletics
- Claimed OF Daniel Robertson from Angels
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
- Miller, Morrison, Farquhar, Trumbo, Smith, Elias, Wilhelmsen, Jones, Joe Beimel, Logan Kensing
Needs Addressed
Many new GMs begin their tenures by completely revamping their new franchises, but that wasn’t necessary for Jerry Dipoto, who took over a 76-win Mariners team that was merely disappointing, rather than hopeless. Dipoto inherited Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, Nelson Cruz and Taijuan Walker, a group that would form a good starting point for any new GM.
Accordingly, Dipoto spent the offseason retooling, rather than rebuilding. After replacing Lloyd McClendon in the manager’s chair with former fellow Angels exec Scott Servais, Dipoto quickly took to the task of turning the Mariners’ talented core into a contender. Most of the talent the Mariners received this winter was acquired with the present in mind. Despite the fact that this offseason wasn’t a massive change of direction for the franchise, however, it was a very busy one.
One of Dipoto’s most crucial moves, of course, was to re-sign one of the previous administration’s key players. In early December, Hisashi Iwakuma had agreed to a three-year, $45MM contract with the Dodgers, but the Dodgers tried to adjust the deal due to an issue with his physical. Iwakuma then opted to return to Seattle for significantly less guaranteed money — just $12MM, even less than the qualifying offer he’d rejected earlier in the offseason. The deal also contains two relatively cheap club/vesting options, giving the Mariners additional value. Iwakuma got a no-trade clause and the opportunity for bigger paydays if he stays healthy, but his deal was, overall, a remarkably cheap one for the Mariners, given how effective Iwakuma has been since arriving from Japan prior to the 2012 season. Iwakuma has, thus far, made three spring starts without incident, so whatever gave the Dodgers pause hasn’t yet shown itself to be an issue, and the Mariners’ modest upfront commitment protects them in case he does get hurt.
Dipoto’s first significant move, though, completed in early November, was to ship Brad Miller, Logan Morrison and Danny Farquhar to Tampa for Nate Karns, C.J. Riefenhauser and Boog Powell. Later, Dipoto sent Riefenhauser and Mark Trumbo to the Orioles for catcher Steve Clevenger. The two deals addressed two key issues with the 2015 Mariners — that they had a logjam at shortstop, and that they were a mismatched and below-average defense team with too many all-bat, no-glove players.
At 26, shortstop Miller still has promise, but he struggled defensively in 2015, to the point that he frequently played outfield last season while the younger and slicker-fielding Ketel Marte played short. The team also still has Chris Taylor in the fold. So the Rays trade allowed the Mariners to commit more thoroughly to Marte and avoid the roster headache of what to do with Miller. The Mariners also managed to unload Morrison, who’d hit a mere .225/.302/.383 in 2015 while providing little defensive value. Morrison seems likely to rebound somewhat in the coming season, but he doesn’t appear likely to be much more than a replacement-level player. The M’s might have sold somewhat low on Farquhar, who is better than his 5.12 2015 ERA suggests, but his velocity and strikeout rate have dipped in each of the last two seasons.
In return for three players for whom they didn’t have a pressing need, the Mariners received a package centered on Nate Karns, a useful starter with five years of team control remaining. Karns’ peripherals in 2015 didn’t quite support his 3.67 ERA, thanks in part to a high walk rate. But he’s a good bet to provide his share of strikeouts and give the Mariners 150 solid innings. They also got Boog Powell, an outfield prospect with modest power but real on-base skills who could arrive at some point during the season.
The third player in that trade was Riefenhauser, who headed to Baltimore along with Trumbo in a move seemingly designed to clear salary and reduce roster headaches. Steve Clevenger, the Mariners’ return in the trade, is a low-upside backup catcher, and Trumbo certainly has usable power, particularly against lefties. But he was due a hefty 2016 salary through the arbitration process ($9.2MM, as it turned out), and his lack of defensive value and issues getting on base created nearly as many problems as his power solved.
A week after the Trumbo trade, the Mariners sent three very young pitching prospects (Carlos Herrera, Daniel Missaki and Freddy Peralta) to Milwaukee for Adam Lind, who will be the Mariners’ new primary first baseman. Lind needs to be platooned, and like Morrison and Trumbo, he isn’t a superlative defender. He is, however, a significantly better hitter than either one. Trumbo’s stats will probably improve this year heading from Safeco Field to Camden Yards, and Lind’s are likely to dip heading from Miller Park to Seattle, but he’s still a quality player whose on-base skills should help the Mariners’ lineup.
As for the three prospects heading to the Brewers, it’s worth noting that Dipoto was very new to the GM job at the time of the trade, and there’s a bit of danger in not knowing exactly what you’re trading, especially with players like Herrera, Missaki and Peralta, all of whom have yet to turn 20 and posted very good peripheral numbers in the low minors last year. Still, Dipoto’s Mariners probably had a clearer read than anyone else on those players, particularly since Dipoto retained many of the team’s key front office execs.
More analysis after the break.