As many of their fans sipped on eggnog — spiked or not — or imbibed in perhaps something even stronger on Christmas Eve, maybe even opening a few presents with family and friends, the Mariners were finalizing an agreement with free-agent hitter Mitch Garver for a two-year, $24 million contract.
It'd be cliché to say the news of the signing was an early present or unexpected gift for Seattle fans due to the holidays.
An offseason that started with controversial comments made by Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, followed by a series of salary dump trades and the revelation that the uncertainty surrounding ROOT Sports NW has limited the overall payroll budget has left fans feeling anything but festive and cheery.
The Garver signing won't be official until he passes a physical in the coming days. When he signs the contract, it will be the largest contract given to a free-agent position player during Dipoto's regime. It's a distinction that is still surprising for an organization that is far from poor and depressing for fans who have watched the team take an unassertive approach to signing baseball's best players.
So what does the signing of Garver represent for the Mariners as the 2024 season moves closer?
A decent start.
Garver, who turns 33 on Jan. 15, is coming off solid season with the Rangers. In 87 games with Texas, he posted a .270/.370/.500 slash line with 11 doubles, 19 homers, 50 RBI, 44 walks and 82 strikeouts.
He is expected to be the Mariners primary designated hitter in a lineup that lost Eugenio Suarez, Teoscar Hernandez and Jarred Kelenic. While those three players all had a propensity to swing and miss, striking out in more than one-third of their combined plate appearances, they still did combine for 59 homers and 238 RBI.
The addition of Garver and infielder Luis Urias, who would be the Mariners primary third baseman if the season started tomorrow, aren't enough to offset those losses or give the Mariners a lineup to compete with the Rangers and Astros in the American League West.
Dipoto said during the winter meetings that the team would like to add multiple hitters to the lineup. A right-handed hitting outfielder would be ideal. But the Mariners aren't at the point of being overly specific in their needs. They need to find upgrades ... within their budget.
The structuring of Garver's contract, specifically the allotment of the $24 million over the two seasons, will be indicative of how the Mariners might proceed in subsequent moves.
With the payroll budget expected to be slightly over the $140 million the team finished with last season — perhaps $145 million — Seattle will be limited in what it can do next.
If the contract is a simple $12 million per season, the Mariners' projected payroll sits at roughly $128 million for 2024. It's unlikely they would go right up to the budget before the season, wanting to have some flexibility for a needed in-season move. It likely leaves them with about another $12 million to spend on a player or players.
It's unlikely any will garner a higher offer in terms of money or committed years than Garver, significantly diminishing the field of possible candidates.
The more logical scenario would be for "Trader Jerry" to add to the impressive tally of trades made with the Mariners.
But here's where it gets uncomfortable for the Mariners. They don't want to trade away any of their starting pitchers, knowing the overall depth has taken a hit with Marco Gonzales no longer in the organization and Robbie Ray not expected to return from elbow surgery till late July.
Unfortunately, Seattle's starting pitchers, all of which are either under contract or under club control for several years to come, are really all that opposing teams covet from the Mariners organization.
The Mariners have made it clear they don't want to trade Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo, but they may have to access hitters that can help them their lineup.
Seattle checked in with the Rays about the availability of infielder Isaac Paredes and outfielder Randy Arozarena early in the offseason, but didn't have the payroll space to make a deal happen. They do now even with the signing of Garver.
The Twins, who are in the midst of trying to reduce payroll, have multiple players available, including outfielder Max Kepler and infielder Jorge Polanco, both of home are owed roughly $10 million for next season.
The Orioles have a logjam of outfielders and outfield prospects while being in need of starting pitching help.
Of course, it's likely that always-creative Dipoto is looking at other targets beyond the known or obvious and won't be afraid to involve multiple teams to try and add to the roster.
The Mariners' projected roster and lineup for 2024 feels at least a hitter short of being compared to last year's roster and lineup, which was also at least a hitter short of being considered competent or playoff-contending.
Signing Garver was a solid if not sexy start for the Mariners reclamation to this offseason, but more additions through free agency or trade need to happen in the days and weeks ahead.
