SEATTLE — The Mariners have invested millions to lock up some of the organization's top pieces on long-term contracts in recent years, including Julio Rodriguez and Luis Castillo. The organization even went out in the 2021 offseason and signed former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to a $115 million free-agent contract.
However, the Texas Rangers' run to the World Series in the 2023 postseason has reinforced what Cal Raleigh said in so many words after Seattle was eliminated from playoff contention: We need more.
In the past few offseasons, Texas has signed Corey Seager to a $325 million contract over 10 years, Jacob DeGrom to a $185 million deal over five years and Marcus Semien to a $175 million contract over seven years.
Of course, these three high-value players are not the only reason Texas managed to advance to the World Series. Evan Carter, a homegrown prospect, has been a breakout star in the postseason. American League Championship Series (ALCS) MVP Adolis Garcia was traded to the Rangers in 2019 for cash considerations.
However, it likely was Texas' aggressive spending in free agency that Raleigh was referencing in his comments that he ended up unnecessarily apologizing for the next day. It was Texas that had eliminated the Rangers from postseason contention after all, with a 6-1 win on the penultimate day of the regular season schedule.
“We’ve got to commit to going and getting those players you see other teams going for, getting big-time pitchers, getting big-time hitters. We have to do that to keep up,” Raleigh said to reporters after the game (h/t Seattle Sports).
Instead of echoing Raleigh's comments, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto enraged the fan base by telling Seattle he was "doing a favor" by preaching patience while the team builds "a sustainably good roster."
"I can't tell you what year we're going to win the World Series. I can tell you that if we win 54 percent of our games over the course of a decade, you're going to play in the World Series," he said.
That 54% figure is particularly interesting in the context of the two teams that made it to this year's Fall Classic. The Texas Rangers have won 54% of their games just three times in the past 10 seasons and only won 37% of their games as recently as 2021. The Arizona Diamondbacks won 54% of their games just once in the past 10 seasons and had just a .321 winning percentage in 2021.
All that being said, this isn't a "let's bash Jerry Dipoto" column. The Mariners are not far off from the upper echelon of MLB, having been in the race for the playoffs up until the final few days of the season.
The only MLB fan base that has never tasted a World Series, however, has no interest in patience or a sustainably good roster. Seattle has seen a division rival win the American League pennant in 5 of the last 7 postseasons, something the Emerald City has never experienced.
The 2023-24 offseason needs to be one of investment from the Mariners. It doesn't necessarily mean you need to sign Shohei Ohtani to a $500 million-plus contract, although that would instantly make the Mariners a bona fide championship contender.
It means Dipoto and the front office need to prove to fans that this isn't just about stability and being a competent team year in and year out. The money is there, it just needs to be spent in the right places. The Mariners were MLB's most profitable organization in 2022, according to Forbes.
Invest in a top free-agent bat and bring in some additional strength in the bullpen. After all, longtime Mariner Paul Sewald helped lead the Diamondbacks to the World Series by registering six saves and not allowing a single earned run in 8 playoff appearances.
Building a championship team is far from an exact science, but year after year teams that bring in the best talent on the free agent market and are willing to make bold roster decisions find themselves on the biggest stage.
If the Mariners are too patient this offseason, the gap between them and the two Texas teams that finished above Seattle in the division standings will continue to grow.
Raleigh is clearly committed to cultivating a championship team in the Pacific Northwest.
The next few months will determine whether the Mariners' front office shares that dedication.
