Jerry Dipoto sells case for Seattle Mariners quiet offseason

SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 30: General manager Jerry Dipoto of the Seattle Mariners looks on prior to the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Thursday, March 30, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Jane Gershovich / MLB Photos / Getty Images)

Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto expressed faith and belief in his team's outlook for the upcoming season despite a quiet offseason that saw little done to address their offensive issues.

"We're still open, if the opportunity to add exists out there, but we feel like this is a good team, and if this is our team going into spring training or opening day, we're pretty excited by it," Dipoto said.

Dipoto spoke with reporters on Monday after the team officially re-signed infielder Jorge Polanco to a one-year deal. It was the first availability locally for the team's chief personnel officer since the end of last season, where the Mariners finished a game behind the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals for the final Wild Card spot in the American League.

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According to reporting from The Seattle Times this winter, Mariners ownership limited the team's offseason spending budget to just $15 million. That took the team out of the running for any of the major free agents on the market, such as New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso or Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. Dipoto had to continue to try to find solutions on the margins, or free up more payroll by trading away a player with a sizable contract that was already on the team.

Dipoto would never publicly acknowledge those budgetary restraints. Instead, he tried to sell the vision of the moves the team was able to make this offseason.

"We didn't anticipate a great deal of movement around the team," Dipoto said. "And as we are now about a week away from heading to spring training, I'd say that probably played out to be spot on much to, I think, the dismay of a few. But we have a good team."

Mariners fans have been extremely frustrated by the team's lack of investment in the team. Seattle has arguably the best starting rotation in all of Major League Baseball behind Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. However, they have an offense that led all of MLB in strikeouts last season and were second-worst in team batting average, beating out only a Chicago White Sox team that set an MLB record for most losses with 121.

The re-signing of Polanco, the signing of 37-year-old infielder Donovan Solano, and a pair of trades to acquire infield depth in Austin Shenton and Miles Mastrobuoni aren't exactly the moves to soothe concerns that the Mariners are fumbling a chance at legitimate postseason contention.

Dipoto then stated his case that the offensive issues aren't nearly the problem they've been made out to be.

"I think there is the reality of our offense and then the perception of our offense," Dipoto opined. "We play in a tough ballpark to hit in. Our offense has generally been above average based on advanced metrics, WRC+, things like that, for a number of years now. You know, the last three years, we've actually had a very stable offense, particularly good on the road, I think one of the top 10 in MLB when we're on the road. And at home, we play in a tough run-scoring environment that really benefits our pitching staff and our position players have been asked to find ways, and we've generally done that. You know, we've turned it into one of the best home records in the league. So, you know, we try not to think too much about how to reconstruct a team for our ballpark. It's working, you know, the way it is. We just have to figure out how to make it work better."

Dipoto pointed to the improved production of the offense over the final six weeks of the season under then-interim hitting coach Edgar Martínez. The Mariners were 21-13 in 34 games played with Martínez and new manager Dan Wilson running the dugout. Seattle's team batting average over the final six weeks jumped to .255 after being just .216 before the coaching changes with the strikeout rate also reduced by four percent.

"We feel like our offense doesn’t get enough credit for the things that they do well," Dipoto said. "Dan and Edgar, once they jumped on board in August, I think there was a different vibe around our team. With a few exceptions, I think just about anything that we could hope to have achieved over the last six weeks of the season, from uptick in play on the field to improved offense to just to winning games, we were as good as anybody in the league for that time."

Polanco hit .213 with 11 doubles and 16 home runs with 45 RBI in 118 games played for Seattle last season in arguably the worst offensive campaign of his career. However, Polanco had knee surgery after the season as that injury and ongoing hamstring problems combined to greatly limit his effectiveness. 

The decision to play Polanco at third base came from the belief that Polanco is far more mobile after surgery, and that Dylan Moore's best defensive position is second base. Additionally, the team has further options in Ryan Bliss and Cole Young, who can play second base, if necessary.

"He looks more explosive. I think the most obvious piece of information is just how much easier it is for him to stop his momentum when he's moving forward, when he has that burst, or even side to side, the simple drills, baseball drills that towards seasons' end last year did look painful for Jorge. They no longer look that way. And he says he feels great. I believe him. It looks that way visually. And, you know, we think third base is the better fit for our roster."

Polanco, Solano and Shenton are all able to play third base as well. 

Solano hit .286 with eight home runs and 35 RBI in 96 games with the San Diego Padres last year, including a .302 average with four home runs against left-handed pitching.

"We went out and we added what we think is a real veteran presence in our clubhouse, quiet pro in a guy like Donovan Solano, who's been excellent against left-hand pitching, and pretty good against the righties as well," Dipoto said. "He can play a number of different positions, but in recent years, it's been more first base (and) third base, and not necessarily in that order. And we felt like, you know, the addition of Donovan really gave us a stabilizer. It allowed us to have a potential answer at one or two positions, or it allowed us the ability to platoon at either."

The Mariners will be mostly healthy when they get to Peoria, Ariz. for the start of spring training with only a few issues, mostly in the bullpen.

Troy Taylor is dealing with a lat strain that will sideline him for the start of spring training and bring his availability for the start of the season into question. However, Matt Brash is on schedule and progressing toward being ready to join the roster by the end of April, and Gregory Santos will be ready for the start of spring after missing most of last season due to multiple injuries.

With the moves they have made, Dipoto still believes the team will be right in the middle of the playoff hunt in the AL West.

"If you look at our division, I think (the A’s) got better," Dipoto said. "There’s no question they got better. The Angels, very early in the offseason, made a flurry of moves. They’ve got some new faces. Houston is going to look different than they’ve looked in recent years, at least as we sit here today. The Rangers reconstructed a bullpen and changed some faces on the pitching staff. But we feel like we are right in the mix. The early projection systems feel like we are right in the mix."

Projected Mariners lineup:

C: Cal Raleigh
1B: Luke Raley / Donovan Solano
2B: Dylan Moore
SS: J.P. Crawford
3B: Jorge Polanco
LF: Randy Arozarena
CF: Julio Rodríguez
RF: Victor Robles
DH: Mitch Garver / Mitch Haniger
Bench: Leo Rivas, Austin Shenton

The Source: Original FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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