Analysis: Without Further Acquisitions, Mariners Admit Defeat
The Mariners' outfield is a mess and will only get worse. They currently have two legitimate, everyday outfielders on their 26-man roster. And when Jesse Winker serves his suspension next week, they will face two of the most talented clubs in baseball with Julio Rodríguez and a bundle of minor leaguers flanking him in the outfield.
This isn't good enough.
Nor is it enough to "wait for Mitch Haniger and Kyle Lewis." Haniger is, at least, three weeks away and the odds that Lewis can provide any defense for Seattle in 2022 are essentially zero at this point. Not to mention the obvious risk associated with trusting two players with injury-filled histories to possibly come back, stay healthy and fix your issues. And if Winker or Rodriguez get injured—well, you get the idea.
The Mariners badly need an outfielder. They don't need a star, at least not yet. It may not even make sense for general manager Jerry Dipoto to spend big on a star based on the team's current record. But if the plan is to continue to use Sam Haggerty, Dylan Moore, Justin Upton and Marcus Wilson for the next three to four weeks, the Mariners are telling their fanbase this simple truth: 2022 is not their year.
Seattle cannot expect to have a reasonable chance at making the playoffs this season by consistently running out a lineup with as many as five subpar MLB bats in it. And it shouldn't waste its time trying to tell its playoff-starved fans that Moore and Haggerty will lead its team to the promised land.
Again: the team doesn't need a star. It needs an MLB-quality player. Rentals need to be on the table, platoon players need to be considered and any prospect outside of the consensus top-10 needs to be available in talks for such players.
The acquisition of this type of player would not prevent the team from adding more pieces in the future. The Mariners don't need to buy a yacht. But if they don't start to plug the holes on their roster with players like Tommy Pham, Michael A. Taylor or Tyler Naquin, their 2022 season will be sunk long before Haniger and Lewis can help.
