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After missing the playoffs by a game yet again, the Seattle Mariners are headed into a critical offseason. It's an offseason in which the M's need to find upgrades at multiple infield positions while solidifying their bullpen. They simply cannot be in a position to miss the playoffs by a game yet again and need to be willing to make uncomfortable decisions in order to get over the hump.
That's why these recent comments from team owner John Stanton were so troubling.
As reported in the Seattle Times:
“My objective for us is to have a sustainable product on the field, meaning a team that is consistently competing every year,” Stanton said in The Times interview. “We’ve grown payroll each of the last three years. Maybe not as much as you would like us to … but we all deal with constraints, right? But we are doing everything we can to put a competitive product on the field.
Mariners chairman John Stanton has promised to increase player payroll for 2025, per sources.
— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) September 30, 2024
How much, exactly, remains unclear.
What is clear: The M's do not intend to dive into the deep end of the free-agent pool this winter.https://t.co/T4ciClqaTe
No one is necessarily asking the Mariners to spend $500 million on Juan Soto this offseason, but fans (and players) deserve to have an ownership group that is invested in true on-field success. While being competitive every year is certainly nice, most fans would a few lean years down the road if it guaranteed real and tangible playoff success now.
I know that if the Mariners did enough to go 98-64 and win the World Series, I would be OK with them going 72-90 somewhere down the road as they reset things. Those two extremes are better than the "just do enough to hope you get in" mindset of the last two years.
By the way, they haven't done enough in each of those two years.
RELATED SEATTLE MARINERS CONTENT:
NEW PODCAST IS OUT: The latest episode of the "Refuse to Lose" podcast is out as Brady Farkas talks about the M's being officially eliminated from the playoff race and the massive missed opportunity in 2024. Furthermore, he talks about the controversial comments from Seattle Sports 710 host Mike Salk and he's joined by outspoken M's critic, Aaron Levine of FOX 13. CLICK HERE:
CAL SPEAKS: Seattle Mariners star catcher Cal Raleigh has addressed the state of the organization heading into the offseason. CLICK HERE:
CHOO RETIRES: Former Seattle Mariners farmhand and Major League All-Star Shin-Soo Choo has retired from professional baseball after spending the last four years in Korea. CLICK HERE:
More must-reads:
- Could wheeler-dealer Yankees replace Anthony Volpe at shortstop?
- Guardians executive opens up about Emmanuel Clase investigation, what comes next
- The 'MLB mascot names' quiz
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Yankees Favorites to Land Dodgers Pitcher
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Titans officially give up on this former first-round pick
The Tennessee Titans have officially given up on one of their former first-round draft picks. Wide receiver Treylon Burks has been waived by the Titans, the team announced on Monday. The decision to cut Burks comes two days after the 25-year-old suffered a broken collarbone during training camp practice. Burks injured himself while making a fantastic one-handed catch on a deep ball from rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Early reports suggest Burks will be out for several weeks and miss the start of the 2025 season. The Titans drafted Burks with the No. 18 overall pick in 2022. They acquired the selection when they traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles, and they had hoped the former Arkansas star would eventually develop into their top wide receiver. Burks, a three-time All-SEC selection, battled injuries throughout his first three NFL seasons. He played in just five games last year and finished with four catches. Ward said last week that he believed Burks was going to be one of Tennessee’s “best targets” this season, so the timing of the injury was unfortunate.
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‘On The Ground For A Couple Of Minutes’: Dallas Cowboys Starter Suffers Painful Injury
The Dallas Cowboys have lost two starting offensive linemen in two days. Earlier on Monday, reports surfaced that offensive guard Rob Jones broke a bone in his neck during Sunday’s practice at the River Ridge Fields in Oxnard, California. Jones is expected to miss two to three months and could leave the team leaning on rookie Tyler Booker to protect quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 1 when they play the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas Cowboys OL Tyler Guyton suffered an injury On Monday, starting left tackle Tyler Guyton exited practice with an injury. “Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton went down during training camp and, after being on the ground for a couple of minutes, gingerly walked to the locker room with some help,” posted Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. Guyton, 24, was the Cowboys’ 2024 first-round pick out of Oklahoma. He appeared in 15 games last season and started in 11. As of this publishing, it’s unclear how serious the injury is to the six-foot-eight, 322-pound athlete. Per OurLads, Asim Richard is listed as Dallas’ backup LT on the depth chart. The Cowboys drafted Richards in the fifth round in 2023. He’s appeared in 21 games and started one. The injuries are starting to mount for the Cowboys’ offensive line, and that’s a concern for an offense that needs to protect Prescott, coming off a season-ending injury in 2024.
New suitor emerges for Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez
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