Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners acquired 2021 All-Star Jesse Winker and 2018 All-Star Eugenio Suarez from the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

Cincinnati will reportedly receive right-hander Justin Dunn, southpaw Brandon Williamson (Mariners' No. 7 prospect, per MLB.com), outfielder Jake Fraley and a player to be named later.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com was among the first to report details of the deal.

The cost-cutting in Cincinnati began during the 2021 offseason, with Trevor Bauer leaving as a free agent and Raisel Iglesias getting dealt to the Los Angeles Angels. The process continued this winter as the Reds traded Tucker Barnhart to the Detroit Tigers and waived Wade Miley rather than pick up his $10 million option.

Cincinnati also traded former All-Star Sonny Gray to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Mariners are also sending a player to be named later to Cincinnati and that the Reds are "high on that player." For now, this deal won't go down well in Southwestern Ohio.

Reminder: the Reds won 83 games last year. If this year's postseason system was in place last year, the Reds would've been in the playoffs.

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) March 14, 2022

Man, you know what job I wouldn't want to have this week? Reds ticket sales person

— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) March 14, 2022

Winker is coming off his best season, hitting .305/.394/.556 with 24 home runs and 71 RBI in 110 games. That performance led to his first career All-Star selection.

The 28-year-old is eligible for arbitration for two more years, so he isn't merely a short-term rental for Seattle.

Because he spent his career in Cincinnati to this point, Winker's production has flown under the radar a bit. Since debuting in 2017, he's 14th in MLB in wOBA (.379) and 29th in wRC+ (132). While the 2021 season represented a personal best, it wasn't a total outlier.

Winker could have a massive impact in the Pacific Northwest.

The Mariners' late push for a playoff berth fell short, but a 90-72 finish got fans excited for what's to come.

Seattle already acquired Adam Frazier from the San Diego Padres and signed Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115 million prior to the MLB lockout. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has been reasonably aggressive to end a 20-year postseason drought.

A lineup that includes Winker, Frazier, Mitch Haniger, Ty France and J.P. Crawford has real potential. The unit will be truly formidable if Suarez rebounds and Jarred Kelenic takes a step forward in his development.

With the franchise's shifting priorities, Suarez was an obvious candidate to go in Cincinnati since he'll earn $11 million annually over the next three seasons.

The eight-year veteran struggled on offense last season, sending his trade value downward. He finished with 31 home runs and 79 RBI but registered 171 strikeouts and a .198/.286/.428 slash line. That was the continuation of an ongoing trend.

Suarez appeared in 57 games in 2020 and posted a .202/.312/.470 slash line. He also hit 15 homers while driving in 38 runs. His 189 strikeouts were MLB's highest in 2019, and he was whiffing at an even higher rate (29 percent) in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, per FanGraphs.

The 30-year-old can reasonably argue bad luck played a factor in his poor performance at the plate in 2020. His .214 batting average on balls in play was nearly 100 points lower than his career mark (.310) at the time.

Perhaps Suarez would have righted the ship in a traditional 162-game campaign. He had an .883 OPS over 23 games across September, per Baseball Reference. Some of his outlying numbers provided reason for optimism in 2021 too.

According to Baseball Savant, Suarez had a 13.8 percent barrel rate in 2019. That number ticked upward slightly in 2020 (14.4 percent). His hard-hit rate improved from 40.8 percent to 44.7 percent. His expected averages, on the other hand, told a more concerning story:

• 2018: .280 XBA, .522 XSLG, .377 WOBA, .381 XWOBA
• 2019: .251 XBA, .509 XSLG, .381 WOBA, .361 XWOBA
• 2020: .218 XBA, .475 XSLG, .326 WOBA, .328 XWOBA

There was no such turnaround in 2021. His .215 expected batting average ranked in the fifth percentile, and his weighted on-base average fell to .306.

Buying low on Suarez is a sensible gamble for the Mariners. There seemingly isn't anywhere for his performance to go but up. He'll probably continue to strike out a lot, but his batting average and slugging percentage will surely regress to the mean. Perhaps a scenery change can accelerate the process.

Should his production fail to improve, however, that $33 million he's still owed will quickly become a significant sunk cost.

Kyle Seager is retiring after 11 seasons in MLB.

Julie Seager shared a statement on her husband's behalf to announce the news:

https://twitter.com/JulieSeager15/status/1476260589756366854

The 34-year-old third baseman spent his entire career with the Seattle Mariners. His 1,480 appearances are the fourth-most in franchise history.

In November, the Mariners declined Seager's $20 million option for the 2022 season.

The move didn't come as a surprise.

In Seattle's season finale, a 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Oct. 3, Seager exited midway through the top half of the ninth inning. That allowed the home fans to bid him farewell.

A loud ovation for Kyle Seager from the Seattle faithful! pic.twitter.com/ZqCrD94nnG

— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2021

Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson commended his Pacific Northwest peer:

One of the best to ever do it on the hot corner. Congrats to a true Seattle legend Kyle Seager on an outstanding career! https://t.co/BheurLKenF

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) December 29, 2021

While he failed to immediately sign with another team, the 2014 All-Star might have found a new home later in the offseason based on his performance in 2021. He had 35 home runs, 101 RBI and a .723 OPS in 159 games. His 2.5 WAR tied for 14th-best among third basemen at FanGraphs.

The North Carolina native appeared to have another good season or two left in the tank. And considering the Mariners never made the playoffs during his tenure, he could've joined a playoff contender to taste the success that eluded him in Seattle.

Seager's retirement comes when business across MLB is at a standstill after team owners locked out the players.

I know they've both made plenty of money in their careers, but to see Seager and Posey retire at 34, both coming off great years and leaving who knows how many millions on the table, makes you wonder. https://t.co/iJNFblRjdC

— Jason Mastrodonato (@JMastrodonato) December 29, 2021

The Athletic's Evan Drellich reported Dec. 15 that MLB and the MLB Players Association may not discuss "core economics" until at least January. The lockout could drag into the spring and jeopardize the start of the regular season.

Rather than wait to see how negotiations progress on a new collective bargaining agreement, Seager may have preferred to avoid the headache.

He walks away having posted a .251/.321/.442 slash line for his career. Only Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner have more home runs than Seager (242) in a Mariners uniform.

Former Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story is drawing a lot of interest in free agency, but one team reportedly hopes to have him switch positions if they land him.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports that the Seattle Mariners are interested in Story and would want to play him at third base.

Heyman added that Story has "a long list of suitors to play a multitude of positions," so a deal is unlikely to get done before the impending MLB lockout.

Story declined an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the Rockies earlier this offseason. He is one of the best free-agent shortstops left on the open market after the signings of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager by the Texas Rangers and Javy Baez by the Detroit Tigers.

The two-time All-Star hit 24 home runs and drove in 75 runs with a .251 batting average in 2021. His 139 strikeouts was his lowest total since his rookie season in 2016 (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season).

The Mariners have already been busy this offseason. American League Cy Young award winner Robbie Ray reportedly agreed to a five-year, $115 million contract on Monday. Seattle also acquired utility player Adam Frazier in a trade with the San Diego Padres. Adding a player like Story would surely help the Mariners improve on last season's 90-72 finish.

Along with Story, former Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa also remains unsigned. The league will enter into a lockout if no new collective bargaining agreement is agreed to before Wednesday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline.

There is reportedly another suitor in the Kris Bryant sweepstakes.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Colorado Rockies are "obviously aiming to compete in 2022" and are interested in signing the former Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants star to help them do just that.

Robert Murray of FanSided previously reported the Seattle Mariners were interested in Bryant even though he is not expected to sign before a possible Dec. 1 work stoppage.

Colorado would be hard-pressed to find a better immediate upgrade to its lineup in free agency than Bryant.

The 29-year-old is a four-time All-Star who won the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year and the 2016 NL MVP during his time with the Cubs. During his MVP-winning season, he also helped Chicago break a World Series championship drought that dated back to 1908, and he helped lead the Giants to the playoffs last season.

Bryant started his career as a third baseman, but part of his value is his ability to play anywhere in the outfield and at first base if needed. That versatility could allow the Rockies or any other team to pursue other options even if they signed Bryant.

He slashed .265/.353/.481 with 25 home runs and 73 RBI last season for the Cubs and Giants and is a playoff-tested veteran.

Colorado missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and finished in fourth place in the NL West at 74-87 in 2021. It has plenty of ground to make up in a daunting division that features contenders in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Giants and San Diego Padres, although signing Bryant would represent an addition for Colorado and a subtraction for San Francisco.

Such a move would also bring some star power back to the Rockies after they traded Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2021 season. Trevor Story is also a free agent, although Heyman previously reported they are interested in re-signing the two-time All-Star shortstop.

Perhaps teaming up with Bryant in hitter-friendly Coors Field would be an intriguing situation for Story as the Rockies look to build a contender.            

Robbie Ray is cashing in on a career year, agreeing to a five-year, $115 million deal with the Seattle Mariners, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The deal includes an opt-out after the third season.

The 30-year-old experienced his worst season in 2020. Between that and the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic across MLB, he had to settle for a one-year, $8 million deal with Toronto for 2021. The pact proved to be a massive bargain.

In 32 appearances, the southpaw went 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA and 3.69 FIP. He averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a personal-best 2.4 walks per nine innings. His 248 strikeouts were the most in baseball, one ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies' Zack Wheeler.

Ray was a near-unanimous Cy Young Award winner for the American League.

The Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath wrote about how Ray turned the "best shape of his life" spring training trope into a reality by changing his offseason workout regimen. He also went back to a delivery he used earlier in his career in an effort to find more uniformity with his mechanics.

"That's something that I've been searching for my whole career is that consistency and the mechanical changes that I've made," he said to McGrath. "I think it's allowed me to have certain cues—physical cues—to make sure that I hit them every time. And they're really simple."

Ray's four-seam fastball velocity (94.59) was his highest since 2016, per Brooks Baseball. According to Baseball Savant, he had a 24.0 percent whiff rate and a 21.0 percent put-away percentage on his fastball. Those numbers were up from 19.4 and 17.5 percent, respectively, in 2020.

Ray also altered his approach to limit the usage of his curveball.

He threw that pitch 16.9 percent of the time in 2020, and opposing hitters had an expected batting average of .353 and an expecting slugging percentage of .579, per Baseball Savant.

His curveball percentage fell to 6.0 percent in 2021, and it became more effective. Hitters had a .278 expected batting average and an expected slugging of .399.

In September, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked Ray as the No. 8 free agent and the second-best pitcher on the market behind Max Scherzer.

While the 2017 All-Star was terrible in 2020 (6.62 ERA and 6.50 FIP), he had a 3.96 ERA and a 3.92 FIP in five years with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2015 to 2019. He also had 955 strikeouts in 762 innings.

Even if Ray can't repeat the production that earned him his first Cy Young, he should continue to be a solid contributor near the top of the rotation.

For the Blue Jays, the July acquisition of Jose Berrios and his subsequent seven-year, $131 million extension may have been made with Ray in mind. In the event Ray walked as a free agent, Toronto would still have a No. 1 starter to anchor the staff.

Losing the left-hander won't help in the Jays' quest for the playoffs, but they should still be poised to contend.

On the other side, this is the kind of marquee acquisition Mariners fans have been clamoring for for years. The angst was particularly building after the team ranked 23rd and 25th in Opening Day payroll over the past two seasons, per Cot's Baseball Contracts.

General manager Jerry Dipoto triggered a rebuild after the 2018 season, symbolized by the trade of Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to the New York Mets. Sooner or later, an increased level of investment needs to follow in order for an organization to take the next step.

Seattle's playoff drought extended to 20 years in 2021, but a 90-72 record raised hopes for 2022. Between trading for Adam Frazier and now signing Ray, Dipoto is looking to return to the postseason.

The Seattle Mariners may not be done acquiring impact players.

After ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the American League West team landed Adam Frazier via trade from the San Diego Padres, Robert Murray of Fansided reported the team is "interested" in free agent Kris Bryant even though he is not expected to sign before a possible work stoppage on Dec. 1 if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't signed.

Bryant is one of the best available free agents this offseason with a resume that includes the 2016 National League MVP, a World Series title, the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year and four All-Star appearances.

He is even more valuable because of his ability to play all over the field. He has seen time at third base, first base and every outfield spot during his career.

The 29-year-old slashed .265/.353/.481 with 25 home runs and 73 RBI last season while splitting time with the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. Chicago traded him to the Giants prior to last season's deadline before he hit free agency even though he was one of the franchise cornerstones who helped the team win a World Series during his tenure.

The early trade for Frazier and this connection suggests the Mariners could be aggressive this offseason.

Seattle hasn't made the playoffs since the 2001 season but impressed in 2021 on the way to a 90-72 mark. If it is able to build on that effort, the postseason in 2022 should be a realistic goal even in a difficult American League West that features the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics.

Bryant's versatility also echoes Frazier's, which is notable since Mariners president Jerry Dipoto told reporters, "We felt like adding Adam made us a deeper team without stopping us from doing anything else we would have wanted to do. That's double the fun. We can continue to add to our team because Adam is so versatile.''

Bryant would be another versatile All-Star caliber player who would make the Mariners an even bigger playoff threat.            

The Seattle Mariners acquired All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier from the San Diego Padres on Saturday.

The Padres received left-handed relief pitcher Ray Kerr and outfield prospect Corey Rosier, a 12th-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft, in return.

ESPN's Jeff Passan initially reported the deal.

Frazier was selected to the All-Star Game after a red-hot start to the 2021 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He posted a .324 batting average and .836 OPS across 98 appearances before getting traded to the Padres in late July.

The 29-year-old Georgia native saw his numbers fade after the deal. He compiled a lackluster .662 OPS with five stolen bases and one home run in 57 games for San Diego.

"I definitely probably put a little too much pressure on myself," Frazier told Dennis Lin of The Athletic in late August amid his struggles.

The second baseman, who can also play the corner outfield positions, owns a solid .344 career on-base percentage, but he's never been a major contributor in other categories. His career-high totals in homers (10) and stolen bases (10) don't jump off the page, making him more of a glue guy than a lineup cornerstone.

Frazier will initially slot in as the M's projected starting second baseman for 2022. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Seattle is still looking to upgrade its lineup, which could potentially move the Mississippi State product into a super-utility role.

Meanwhile, the Padres receive two players still working toward their first MLB appearances.

Kerr, 27, will likely get his first chance at the big leagues in 2022. He's got ample upside as a lefty who can hit 100 mph on the radar gun, but getting his command on track has taken some time. He improved his walk rate considerably from 2019 (4.99 BB/9) to 2021 (3.63) in the minors, but there's still work to do.

Rosier, 22, split his first season of professional ball between the Rookie League and Low-A. He showed a lot of promise with a 1.022 OPS, 13 steals and three homers in 32 games. He's still likely two or three years away from playing a key role in the majors, though.

All told, San Diego didn't get the type of production it expected from Frazier after the deadline deal, but it was able to recoup some value by trading him to the Mariners.

Free-agent starting pitcher Marcus Stroman reportedly has a long list of suitors this offseason.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi confirmed a report from Tim Dierkes, saying the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels are among the teams interested in pursuing Stroman. Morosi added that the Seattle Mariners should be included in that list.

Stroman established himself as a dependable starter for the New York Mets this past season. He led the team with 10 wins, his first double-digit win season since 2017. The 30-year-old finished the year with a 3.02 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 179 innings pitched for one of the best statistical seasons of his seven-year career.

The Mets have already lost starter Noah Syndergaard and reliever Aaron Loup in free agency. If Stroman were to sign with another team, it would be a big blow to a New York team that lacks rotation depth behind ace Jacob deGrom.

Stroman would be a strong addition to any team's rotation. The Angels, who landed both Syndergaard and Loup, are clearly looking to improve their pitching this offseason. The Giants have also been aggressive in the arms race, re-signing starter Anthony DeSclafani to a three-year deal Monday and finalizing a deal to bring back Alex Wood.

The teams in need of a top starting pitcher have many top options to choose from. In addition to Stroman, this year's free-agent class includes high-profile starters Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Kevin Gausman.

Two American League teams are reportedly hoping to pry All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds away from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners both have "significant interest" in Reynolds, although the Pirates feel "no pressure" to move him since he is under contract through 2025.

The 26-year-old Reynolds broke out and enjoyed a career year in 2021, setting personal bests in almost every major category en route to his first All-Star nod.

In addition to slashing .302/.390/.522, Reynolds blasted a career-high 24 home runs, drove in 90 RBI, scored 93 runs and tied for the Major League lead with eight triples.

Reynolds was one of the lone bright spots on a Pirates team that went 61-101 and finished last in the National League Central by 10 games.

After finishing fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2019 when he hit .314 with 16 homers and 68 RBI, Reynolds dropped off in a big way during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

The Baltimore native hit just .189 with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 55 games, but the struggles proved to be an aberration, as Reynolds bounced back last season.

Both the Yankees and Mariners would benefit greatly from adding Reynolds if either is able to acquire him from the Pirates.

The Yankees were without starting center fielder Aaron Hicks for nearly the entire 2021 season because of a left wrist injury. That forced them to play veteran Brett Gardner far more than expected, and it also resulted in Aaron Judge seeing a lot of action in center.

Gardner is now a free agent, and while Hicks is still under contract, it isn't certain how well the 32-year-old will bounce back from a torn tendon sheath in his wrist.

Additionally, Reynolds is a switch hitter, which would add some much-needed versatility to a Yankees lineup that was heavy on right-handed hitters last season.

The Mariners leaned heavily on Jarred Kelenic as their starting center fielder last season, and he largely struggled from an offensive perspective, hitting just .181 with 14 homers and 43 RBI.

The 22-year-old was essentially forced into a full-time role because 2020 AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis was limited to 36 games by a torn meniscus.

Reynolds, Kelenic and Lewis are all center fielders by trade, but they have positional versatility in the outfield and could give the M's an elite outfield defense.

Despite making the playoffs last season, the Yankees fell short of expectations, as they lost in the AL Wild Card game. The Mariners were just the opposite in that they far exceeded expectations by narrowly missing the postseason with a 90-72 record.

If the Pirates decide to part with Reynolds, he could be a key figure in helping the Yankees win their first World Series since 2009 or helping the Mariners reach the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

The Seattle Mariners declined Kyle Seager's $20 million club option for the 2022 season on Wednesday.

Seager has spent his entire MLB career in Seattle, and his 1,480 appearances are fourth-most in franchise history. His contributions didn't stop former Mariners president Kevin Mather from basically pushing him out the door well before the 2021 season got underway.

During an appearance at the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club in February 2021 that ultimately cost him his job, Mather said of Seager that "this is probably his last season as a Mariner" and called him "probably overpaid."

In a since-deleted tweet in response to the comments, Julie Seager, Kyle's wife, wrote, "So should we put our house in Seattle on the market now, orrrrrr?"

Perhaps motivated by Mather, Seager finished with career highs in home runs (35) and RBI (101) this past year. His 2.5 WAR was fourth-best on the team, per FanGraphs.

Still, the Mariners' decision to pay his $2 million buyout comes as little surprise since the franchise is looking more toward the long term, even after nearly claiming a wild-card spot in the American League.

Seager raised eyebrows in October when he told the Seattle Times' Ryan Divish not only hadn't be spoken with President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto about his status for 2022, but they also "haven't had a conversation in years, probably four years."

"We don't communicate at all," he said. "Not even passing by in the hall. If he spoke to my agent or anything like that, I haven't heard anything."

During his radio show on 710 ESPN Seattle, Dipoto refuted those comments.

"I understand Kyle's emotions, and I don't want to get into a 'he said, she said,' but we've had conversations," he said. "We had a conversation in the spring talking about this season and the possibility that it could be his last in Seattle and his legacy."

The writing was on the wall in Seattle's season finale, a 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Oct. 3. Donovan Walton replaced Seager at third in the ninth inning, which allowed him to get a rousing ovation from the fans at T-Mobile Park.

A loud ovation for Kyle Seager from the Seattle faithful! pic.twitter.com/ZqCrD94nnG

— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2021

The Mariners have retired Edgar Martinez's No. 11 jersey and Ken Griffey Jr.'s No. 24 jersey, in addition to Jackie Robinson's No. 42. In due time, Seager has made a strong case to receive the same honor.

Assuming he isn't returning to the Pacific Northwest on a more team-friendly deal, he ranks fifth in WAR (37.0) among Mariners position players and fourth in hits (1,395), home runs (242) and RBI (807), per Baseball Reference.

Seager figures to be an attractive stopgap at the hot corner for a contending team.

His .212 batting average was a career low, and he had an on-base percentage below .300 (.285) for only the second time. That coincided with a strikeout rate (24.0 percent) well above his career average (18.1 percent), per FanGraphs.

However, he was a significantly better hitter on the road (.261/.323/.538) than he was at home (.159/.245/.329), so a move away from Seattle could be beneficial for his bat.