After ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that it is guaranteed that Juan Soto is traded this offseason, rumors began to swirl about where the 25-year-old superstar outfielder will wind up. With the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs leading the way as 3 of the top destinations for him, I believe another team may be an even better fit for Soto. That team is the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners’ lineup is filled with star-powered, and will be able to provide the protection that Soto needs. With Julio Rodriguez at the top (32 Home Runs, .818 OPS), and players like J.P. Crawford (.818 OPS, 19 home runs) and Cal Raleigh (30 Home Runs, .762 OPS), Soto will have strong bats surrounding him in the lineup. This does not include Ty France, who had a down year last season, but is expected to have a bounce-back year and regain his 2021-2022 form, when he had 38 home runs and a .790 OPS during that time frame.
Though the lineup is heavy on left-handed hitters, there is certainly still pop from the right side, and with the Mariners missing a superstar hitter who could inflict serious damage after Julio Rodriguez, it is a match made in heaven for both Soto and the team.
The Mariners’ starting pitching staff is one of baseball’s deepest rotations, and is built to win now. Soto has made it known that he wants to compete for a World Series, and the Mariners’ starting rotation is indicative of a team looking to win it all. They are led by Luis Castillo, who had a 1.10 WHIP and 3.34 ERA this past season, and also walked guys at the lowest clip of his career with a 2.56 BB/9. Behind Castillo, the Mariners have 26 year-old RHP Logan Gilbert. Gilbert was solid once again, posting a 1.08 WHIP, 1.70BB/9, and 3.2 fWAR this past season. And behind these 2, is 25 year old RHP George Kirby. Kirby was stellar this season, sporting a 1.04 WHIP, 3.35 ERA, and the lowest BB/9 in the entire league at 0.90.
While it remains to be seen how the bullpen will be assessed this offseason, there are already strong pieces in the back end (Andres Muñoz, Matt Brash, Justin Topa). If the Mariners add 1-2 more back-end of the bullpen pieces, they should be set up to have one of the better bullpens in baseball.
With a team built to compete for the postseason right now, the Mariners are one formidable bat away from being contenders for the World Series. By acquiring Juan Soto and signing him to a long-term contract, the Mariners will be able to compete for the near and distant future.
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