Seattle Mariners Are Putting an Insane Amount of Pressure on Their Stars in 2025
Think about an NFL team for a second.
Generally, teams want to get a quarterback on a cheap deal, and then they want to surround that quarterback with a lot of help. The thought process is that you can take a good player and elevate him by those around him.
Look at the Seattle Seahawks, for example. Geno Smith is a fine quarterback, but he's not a top of the market QB. As a result, the Hawks have given him three solid wide receivers and a good running back. The hope is that Smith doesn't need to be a Hall of Fame player, he just needs to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers.
Now, come back to baseball, where the Seattle Mariners seem to be taking the opposite approach. Rather than help their stars, they appear to be forcing them to shoulder the load even more than they already do.
The M's non-tendered Josh Rojas on Friday, creating another gaping hole in the infield. The problem is not so much Rojas, as I believe that the team can find another glove-first infielder who can hit sub-.230, but what it represents.
The Mariners are likely looking to fill that spot with an even cheaper version of Rojas, but they aren't looking to fill it with somebody better. If they take that approach at second base also, they are essentially punting two positions, forcing even greater responsibilities on the pitching staff to stay healthy, Julio Rodriguez to be outstanding, and Cal Raleigh to be an MVP candidate.
The pitching staff had four players deliver 30-plus starts last season, which isn't something you can bank on. Raleigh hit 34 homers, drove in 100, and stayed healthy, also not something you can bank on. Rodriguez, though he had a down year, still hit 20 homers and stole 20-plus bases.
Instead of helping ease the pressure on those guys, the M's appear to be giving them even more responsibility. It wasn't enough last year, and how much more is really in the tank for that group? If they regress, or get injured in any way, it's a really scary proposition.
It's a tough way to live, but it's how the M's appear to be doing it.
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