Commentary: The Mariners front office finally went for it - and that’s all we’ve ever asked

Commentary: The Mariners front office finally went for it - and that?s all we?ve ever asked

By acquiring the top offensive target at the trade deadline, Geno Suarez, along with Josh Naylor, the Mariners finally did something fans have been asking the organization to do for years - take a big swing and go for it all.

SEATTLE - This week, I was reminded of my favorite line in the movie "Tin Cup" when Kevin Costner’s character, Roy McAvoy, is encouraged by his love interest, played by Rene Russo, to go for the green on the final hole of the U.S. Open.

"My problem is, I’ve never been with a man who went for it," she says.

Until the last couple weeks, that’s often how I felt about being a Mariners fan. As much as we begged and pleaded for them to go for it, it rarely felt like they did. The conservative and safe approach that some might call prudent and others would call cheap has kept this franchise in a perpetual state of limbo, close enough to contend for a playoff spot - but rarely enough to get them over the top.

By getting a deal done to bring Geno Suarez back to Seattle, it finally felt like they were on our side, not content with the strictly conservative approach - and willing to take the big swing that could win it all.

Of course, the Josh Naylor trade was big too. But by also snagging the top hitting target available at the deadline in Suarez, it sent a message to everyone in baseball that the Mariners aren’t playing around. And more importantly, I’d argue it created a significant vibe shift amongst this fanbase – one very noticeable throughout their four-game series with Texas this weekend.

Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez, left, celebrates with teammate Cal Raleigh after hitting a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Right now, anything seems justifiably possible: A playoff spot. A division title. A World Series berth. Ask most fans two weeks ago, and that was hardly the case.

Now, I’ve given this front office a ton of grief over the years, but as the saying goes, some things are better late than never. To make the moves they did and avoid sacrificing a major haul of top prospects deserves significant praise. But to me, all that mattered was coming out of the trade deadline with an everyday lineup that didn’t call for platoons and mixing-and-matching and "Jerry"-rigging we normally see from teams concerned about their budget.

And that positive feeling is contagious. You felt it in the ballpark this weekend, even before moments like J.P. Crawford hitting a walk-off home run on Friday night.

Stuff like that certainly helps. But for an organization that continually begs us to Dream Big, they finally gave us tangible reasons to do so, and to convince us that they’re doing the same.

If they go down in a Blaze of Glory this season like Tin Cup did in the movie, so be it. It’s the fact that they went for it that leaves the more lasting impression on me.

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