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Mark P
5:01
There have been tons of good big leaguers who struggled in their first couple of seasons.  In Kelenic's case, he has played the equivalent of basically one full season, and also lost a year of proper minor league development due to the pandemic
5:03
That said, the Mariners were reportedly open to trading Kelenic last year, which does create some sense that maybe they know something we don't about his long-term potential.  

Or, the trade rumors could be because the M's are a Jerry Dipoto team who was aggressively open to anything to break the playoff streak
Mojo
5:03
They seem comfortable enough with Moore to give him a 3 year extension, but seriously can't watch that guy swinging like he is GD Big Mac in his prime at the plate.  What am I missing outside of defensive versatility with this guy.
Mark P
5:05
I'm not here to talk about the past, but looking at Moore's past numbers, he's had some quite solid production.  The strikeouts might always be a big part of his game, but if he's an above-average bat overall and can play multiple positions, that's a nice player to have.  The extension was hardly expensive enough to break the bank, either
guest
5:05
Is Evan White considered a disappointment?
Mark P
5:07
White is another player with a pretty small sample size, since while he has badly struggled at the plate in MLB, it is only over 306 plate appearances.

The modest Triple-A production is more worrisome, but the biggest concern with White is healthy.  If he can stay off the IL and get some consistent playing time, maybe he can start to regain momentum
Steve
5:07
How many Ohtani questions have you gotten so today? Lol
Mark P
5:07
Oh, not many, it's been pretty focused on the Mariners in 2023, not what they might do in the futu....
Gerry
5:07
Do you think the M's lack of significant spending this offseason is partially due to a serious Ohtani pursuit after the season?
guest
5:08
What are the chances that the M's can sign Shohei for next season?
Shotime
5:08
Do you think the Mariners will make a push for Ohtani?  They have the payroll space to give out a 50 million contract and not pay the luxury tax, are on the West Coast, and have a young core and playoff aspirations. Slotting him between Julio and France seems like a really nice heart of the order.
Trader Jerry
5:08
Could I blow out the rest of the league and offer Ohtani $600M?
Ohtani
5:08
Are the Mariners the dark horse to sign Ohtani this offseason?  They were one of his finalists the first time around, west coast, young core with a chance to contend, and have the DH spot pretty wide open.
Mark P
5:10
.....never mind.

I felt the need to at least note Ohtani in the offseason review because it's already such a source of speculation for every West Coast team (well, not Oakland).  While it would be a little strange to see the Mariners go from moderate spenders to blowing things out for a $500MM Ohtani contract, he might be that kind of truly special player that will get every team open to such a splurge.  Especially if Ohtani really does prefer to stay on the west coast, the Mariners would be remiss to not explore the possibility, and might be saving a bit of payroll space for next winter just in case
M’s Fan
5:11
How big of disappointment is it if the M’s miss the playoffs in 23?
Mark P
5:12
For me Seattle is certainly one of the six best AL teams on paper, so it would definitely count as a letdown.  Especially after giving Houston all they could handle in the ALDS last year.
5:13
That said, it is also quite possible to see a scenario where the Mariners have a very good year but still miss out.  If their record in one-run games is less than spectacular, or if some rotation injuries start cropping up (or injuries in general on the roster), a replay of 2021's non-playoff 90-win season is in the cards
5:14
There are only three AL teams that I don't think have any real spot at the playoffs, so the Mariners will face a lot of competition
Hull
5:15
Is this a make-or-break year for Crawford?
Mark P
5:15
Not in the traditional sense, since he's under contract through 2026.  But as the everyday shortstop? Maybe.
Niehaus
5:16
Did Julio’s contract change the way contracts will be made moving forward? It’s a weird one isn’t it?
Mark P
5:18
I'm kinda glad I wasn't on MLBTR when that news broke, since it would've been a lot of "wait, what?" in compiling and figuring out all of the details of J-Rod's deal as they slowly filtered in.

It's essentially the supersized version of the creative club-option/player-option hybrids (or "swell-opts," to use one of Scott Boras' pet terms that didn't really catch on) we've increasingly seen more of in recent years.  Wouldn't be surprising if we see teams explore somewhat similar deals with other young stars in the future, though Rodriguez is maybe something of a unique circumstanace
circumstance
Jonathan
5:19
I'd give the Mariners offseason a solid B especially because of the Teoscar trade, but I'm still disappointed that we didn't get involved in the Xander Bogaerts market. Do you agree that there was a window while the Padres were focused on Turner and Judge to reel him in for something between what the Red Sox were offering and the $280m he ended up signing for? Or do you think he and his agent knew the rough number of what the Padres were willing to do?
Mark P
5:21
If Boras had any inkling of a $280MM deal being floated out there from the Padres, he was definitely going to explore that possibility to its fullest extent.  

Keep in mind, though, that more teams than just the Padres and (if they were even all that deeply involved) Mariners were in on Bogaerts.  So in an alternate reality where the Padres did land Turner or Judge, the Mariners wouldn't have had a clear path.  In fact, if Turner did end up in SD, it seems more likely that Bogaerts might've gone to Philly
Chris Flexen
5:22
With our rotation depth and my regulation to the bullpen, do you see a potential framework of a deal sending me to Colorado for Ryan McMahon? It could help the M's with positional flexibility and additional lineup depth.
Mark P
5:23
Flexen wouldn't be one of the top two pieces in such a trade package, actually.  Colorado has McMahon locked up on a long-term deal, and they surely see him as a cornerstone.  It would take way more than Flexen to even get the Rockies thinking about a McMahon swap
Ever been to Seattle?
5:24
?
Mark P
5:24
I have!  Went there years ago with some friends for a Mariners/Blue Jays series and had a great time.  Cool city, great ballpark.
Michael
5:26
Is it a stretch to say the mariners got worse offensively this offseason? Teoscar is an upgrade over Haniger, although mainly because of health, and Wong is a marginal upgrade over Fraizer, but Winker had his worst season last year and was still above average offensively and now he’s gone, and nothing major was done to replace him. Who plays DH now? The outfield/dh rotation of Mitch, Julio, Kelenic and Winker looked better at the time than our current OF/DH of Teo, Rodriguez, Kelenic, and Pollock. The latter two could easily become black holes in the lineup, wheras at least Winker could get on base enough to not be a total detriment,
Mark P
5:28
The M's are confident (and I am too) that a Kelenic/Pollock will be more productive than what Winker did offensively last year.  Wong isn't the most consistent offensive player in the world, but he's been solidly better than Frazier for most of the last few seasons, not only 2022
Abhi
5:28
Do you think the Mariners added enough hitting? What do you make of the lack of a "true" DH?
Mark P
5:29
I'm on the side of feeling that a "true DH" isn't necessary, since there's a benefit to giving a bunch of players half-days of rest by cycling them through as the designated hitter.  As I noted earlier, the lack of a full-time DH gives the Mariners flexibility in adding a hitter at midseason.
Whiskey
5:30
Would Seattle go for Reynolds if they’re targeting Ohtani? What do you think?
Mark P
5:31
Signing Ohtani would cost "only" money (albeit, you know, $500MM or so), whereas acquiring Reynolds would come at an apparently giant prospect cost, according to Pittsburgh's reported asking price.
5:33
So the ask for Reynolds would start with at least two of Hancock/Miller/Dollard, and then more from there.  Maybe even so far as Kirby or Gilbert as the headline piece
King Felix
5:33
Am I a Hall of Famer?
Mark P
5:33
I would vote for him, yes
Steve
5:34
Before you go, what is your Mariners Mount Rushmore?
Mark P
5:35
Griffey, Ichiro, Edgar Martinez are the easy top three.  After that it's a bit trickier, but since I just said I'd vote for him for the HOF, I'll give King Felix the nod
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