The Seattle Mariners have been searching for a designated hitter solution for years, and it appears they may have finally found it. The designated hitter (DH) is a player who bats in place of the pitcher in the American League, allowing teams to use a full-time hitter in the lineup. The Mariners have been searching for someone to fill this role since the departure of Edgar Martinez in 2004.
Recently, the Mariners signed free agent Nelson Cruz to a four-year, $57 million contract. Cruz is a career .268 hitter with a .521 slugging percentage, and he has hit at least 20 home runs in each of the past seven seasons. He is expected to provide the Mariners with a much-needed power boost in the middle of their lineup.
The Mariners also acquired outfielder Seth Smith from the San Diego Padres in exchange for reliever Brandon Maurer. Smith is a career .266 hitter with a .788 OPS, and he is expected to provide the Mariners with a steady bat at the bottom of their lineup. Smith should also provide some much-needed depth to the Mariners’ outfield, as they have struggled to find consistent production from that position in recent years.
The Mariners also acquired first baseman/outfielder Logan Morrison from the Miami Marlins in exchange for reliever Carter Capps. Morrison is a career .247 hitter with a .764 OPS, and he should provide the Mariners with some much-needed power at the bottom of their lineup. He is also expected to provide some much-needed depth to the Mariners’ infield, as they have struggled to find consistent production from that position in recent years.
The Mariners have also been linked to free agent outfielder Melky Cabrera, who is a career .286 hitter with a .788 OPS. If the Mariners are able to sign Cabrera, he could provide them with a much-needed boost in the middle of their lineup.
It appears that the Mariners may have finally found their designated hitter solution. With Cruz, Smith, Morrison, and potentially Cabrera in their lineup, the Mariners should be able to provide their pitchers with some much-needed run support. It remains to be seen if these moves will be enough for the Mariners to make a run at the postseason in 2015, but it appears that they have finally found their designated hitter solution.
