I tend to make an offseason plan each year because I genuinely find it really fun. I especially love the conversations it stems and seeing how others evaluate talent both in the M's org and outside. With this offseason predicted to be rushed in November to avoid the lockout, I figured I would push my plan out a little early to get ahead of the busy season.

To preface my moves, I genuinely believe each move has merit and is equitable for each team so if there is a move you don't agree with, I am more than happy to dive into it deeper, but for sake of brevity, I will try to keep this post on the condensed side.

To preface, I am operating with a max budget of $170,000,000 and am using MLB Trade Rumor's arb projections.

In House:

• Pick up Andres Munoz player option for $8,750,000
• Reject Victor Robles player option for $9,000,000
• Non-tender Michael Rucker
• Non-tender Weston Wilson
• Option Brock Rodden back to AAA
• Non-tender Cooper Crisswell

Commited payroll sits at $130,102,381

1. Mariners trade RHP George Kirby and OF Luke Raley to the Baltimore Orioles for 3B Jordan Westburg and RHP Anthony Nunez

• O's interest context - The Orioles need OF production and starting pitching. While Raley hasn't been a beacon of health, his production, when on the field, is undeniable and would be a huge step up from what the O's put out there this season for a relatively cheap price and they'd get him for another 3 years. Kirby's value is self-explanatory. His ceiling is Cy Young candidate, and he has 2 more years of club control.
• M's interest context - Westburg would provide stability at 3B for the next 3 seasons, gives you a right-handed bat with power, and will play an average to slightly above average defense. Nunez had an intriguing rookie season this year posting a pedestrian 3.90 ERA but consistently sitting in the upper 80 to 90th percentile in swing and miss, chase and whiff percentages. Westburg and Raley are sort of challenge trades because both have questionable health. Mariners would be taking on more risk considering Westburg is coming off TJ surgery but the combination of more club control and a high upside bullpen arm with near max years of club control help cover that risk.
• Payroll sits at $119,482,381

1. Mariners extend Logan Gilbert on a 5-year $120,000,000 deal ($24,000,000 annual)
   • I won't spend too much time on this because what Gilbert offers is probably very clear to all of us. He is the leader of this young staff and as much as you are paying for his on-field performance, you are paying him to help guide the young guys around him.
   • Payroll sits at $128,082,381
2. Mariners trade RHP Matt Brash and RF Lazaro Montes to the Pittsburg Pirates for OF Bryan Reynolds.
   • Pirates' context - The Pirates want to stay competitive but will need to open the doors for their 2 top 100 OF prospects soon. Reynolds is under contract for another 5 years and is making $15,250,000 per year. Providing Laz offers a cheap bridge between Reynolds and their prospects while still putting up good offensive production and this allows their payroll to be spread across more positions. His top prospect pedrigree should help offset the immediate production loss of Reynolds and Brash helps bolster a bad bullpen for a cheap price.
   • Mariners context - Reynolds offers 20 homer potential while playing good defense at all three spots and adds a switch hitter presence to the lineup to better balance things. He will hit for a good average and lengthen the lineup. Losing Brash will hurt but this team has gotten used to pitching without him due to his health, it may just be time to move on. While Laz's tools are really fun, his defensive limitations really handcuff this roster which needs to get more flexible.
   • Payroll sits at $140,752,381
3. Mariners sign UTL Mauricio Dubon to a 3 year, $30,000,000 deal ($10,000,000 annual)
   • Dubon makes the bench legitimately good and would serve as your SS back up while we wait for Emerson to be ready. Dubon will hit for an average and offers another right handed bat off the bench but you really just need him to play good defense. He can help cover 2B, SS, 3B, LF, CF, and RF. In a pinch he could even cover 1B.
   • Payroll sits at $150,752,381
4. Mariners trade 2B Ryan Bliss and RHP Carlos Vargas to Tampa Bay Rays for 1B/OF Ryan Vialde and RHP Tyler Wells.
   • Rays context - Vildae is the type of found talent that the Rays love to flip. He isn't an essential piece, and he can get you back some interesting depth. Wells is due to make $4,000,000 and only has one more year left of club control. It is pretty much guaranteed that he will not be a Ray. Vargas holds lots of club control and has eye popping tools that the Mariners just haven't been able to fully tap into. The Rays could very easily turn Vargas into a legit threat.
   • Mariners context - With Raley leaving in a previous move, and Weston Wilson getting kicked to the curb, the M's will need a new 1B back up. Vilade is a decent fielder and provides a righty complient to Naylor. While you are mainly getting him for defensive versitility, he does have good power in the bat. Nothing special here but he makes for a much better bench. Wells is the prize here. A veteran righty with dominate back end of the bullpen stuff. He would pick up the clean-up responsibilities that Brash would leave behind and he would add a lot more strikeouts into a bullpen that struggled to miss bats.
   • Payroll sits at $154,732,381
5. Mariners sign Kaima Taira to a 4-year, $48,000,000 deal ($12,000,000 annual)
   • This move can be subbed for a different FA releiver but Taima has the benefit of doubling as starting pitcher depth. His 5'-8" stature will be a knock on his value but his stuff is undeniable with a fastball sitting at or above 100 MPH when he throws out of the pen. MLB scouts seem to agree his will be a reliever making his price lower than some might expect but I really think this guy will be dominate without having to pay for the later years that you'd see in other FA veteran relievers.
   • Payroll sits at $166,732,381

New Roster:

C - Cal Raleigh SH

1B - Josh Naylor LH

2B - Cole Young LH

3B - Jordan Westburg RH

SS - Colt Emerson LH

LF - Michael Arroyo RH

CF - Julio Rodriguez RH

RF - Bryan Reynolds SH

DH - Dominic Canzone - LH

Bench

C - Jhonny Pereda RH

2B, 3B, LF, RF - Brendan Donovan LH

OF, 2B, 3B, SS - Mauricio Dubon RH

1B/OF - Ryan Vilade

Rotation

Logan Gilbert

Bryan Woo

Emerson Hancock

Bryce Miller

Kade Anderson

Bullpen

Andres Munoz RH

Tyler Wells RH

Gabe Speier LH

Kaima Taira RH

Jose Ferrer LH

Eduard Bazardo RH

Anthony Nunez RH

Seranthony Dominguez RH

To keep it simple, Donovan will rotate around give guys off days and remaining in the lineup as much as possible but I anticipate we will see him getting more rest to try and keep him healthy. Dubon will help cover SS while we wait on Emerson but when he returns Dubon will help platoon there against tough lefties as well as be a base runner and defensive sub guy. Vilade will really only play if we need a righty pinch hitter or if Naylor needs a rest.

Just saw this from last night's game 1 and thought it was kind of cool.

https://youtu.be/oLJFJSNFklU?is=f76Hsp2JDC1LUXsT

Welcome to the /r/mariners Daily Thread! Please use this thread to discuss events from today, or anything else you'd like. Comments are automatically sorted by new to keep the conversation current. Keep it civil and respect other users opinions.

Want more Mariners discussion? Have you tried the Mariners discord?

Welcome to the /r/mariners Daily Thread! Please use this thread to discuss events from today, or anything else you'd like. Comments are automatically sorted by new to keep the conversation current. Keep it civil and respect other users opinions.

Want more Mariners discussion? Have you tried the Mariners discord?

Received this gift today- this signed ball of 17 mariners players from the first inaugural season!! Such a cool piece of mariners history.

Featuring:
Bob Galasso
John Montague
Craig Reynolds
Julio Cruz
Steve Braun
Rick Honeycutt
Wes stock- pitching coach
Dan Meyer
Larry Cox
Bill Stein
Glenn Abbott
Dave Collins
Vada Pinson- 1st base coach
Jose Baez
Lee Stanton
Enrique Romo
Rick Jones

Have some club firsts on this ball:

Montague recorded the first win
Collin’s the first batter and first run
Baez the first hit
Meyer first RBI

Anyone have something similar?

I’d love to get my hands on a signed pilots ball but those are rare and pricey.

“I’m coming back,” Vogt said Thursday.

Vogt is signed for next season and beyond, and Antonetti said he has “every expectation that Vogt is going to manage here for a really long time.” Antonetti refused to specify the terms of Vogt’s deal.

Vogt has three children, with his oldest starting high school last month. He said he and his wife have discussed relocating to Cleveland “every year,” but they don’t want to yank their kids out of their comfort zones. His wife and kids spend most of their summer in Cleveland, and they make trips to Arizona for spring training and to the club’s playoff games.

Welcome to the /r/mariners Daily Thread! Please use this thread to discuss events from today, or anything else you'd like. Comments are automatically sorted by new to keep the conversation current. Keep it civil and respect other users opinions.

Want more Mariners discussion? Have you tried the Mariners discord?

Welcome to the /r/mariners Daily Thread! Please use this thread to discuss events from today, or anything else you'd like. Comments are automatically sorted by new to keep the conversation current. Keep it civil and respect other users opinions.

Want more Mariners discussion? Have you tried the Mariners discord?

Thinking half glass full here. 2023 Rangers, 24 Yankees, Blue Jays last year and the Rays this year all missed the playoffs the year before and three of the four had losing records. Also knowing Cal and Naylor were playing through injury makes me more optimistic. If we can nail our manager search there’s no reason to think we can’t make it back next year

Welcome to the /r/mariners Daily Thread! Please use this thread to discuss events from today, or anything else you'd like. Comments are automatically sorted by new to keep the conversation current. Keep it civil and respect other users opinions.

Want more Mariners discussion? Have you tried the Mariners discord?

Randy is wearing enough chains tonight to sink the Edmund Fitzgerald… wonder if he is aiming to return to the Rays?

I'm a simple girl. I love a baseball team, I don't need to Know who the Players Are or Statistics. Certainly true when I was 5. So...

Who is that!

Year is 2000, I believe.

Welcome to the /r/mariners Daily Thread! Please use this thread to discuss events from today, or anything else you'd like. Comments are automatically sorted by new to keep the conversation current. Keep it civil and respect other users opinions.

Want more Mariners discussion? Have you tried the Mariners discord?

The real estate listing says this house was custom built for a "legendary Seattle baseball Hall of Fame inductee." Felix famously lived in Clyde Hill. I'm assuming this is Felix's old house and not Dan Wilson's or Edgar's. If it belonged to Dan though, it might explain why it just went up for sale. What do y'all think about it? Do you agree it probably used to be Felix's? Thoughts?

It was Sept 10 Rangers vs. M’s. Top of the 5th when Evan Carter stole second.

I don’t even care if it’s the whole dang game. I can’t even find a website that has it.