Amsinger weighs in on biggest need for Mariners’ offense

The MLB offseason has started to pick up a bit, but the Seattle Mariners have remained quiet.

Drayer: Where Seattle Mariners stand as Winter Meetings approach

That could change this coming week when the Winter Meetings begin Monday in Arlington, Texas. At the very least, the M’s will likely be linked to conversations several free agent bats and potential trade suitors to improve their offense.

During a conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, host of MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” Greg Amsinger shared his thoughts on the type of hitter the Mariners should be prioritizing and who they should target this offseason.

“They clearly have many issues, but if there’s one that has to be addressed immediately, they need someone who can consistently slug. They need power in the middle of the lineup,” Amsinger said. “… Cal Raleigh is a wonderful player, a terrific defender, a switch-hitting catcher with a lot of power. It’s hard to find that. (But) you can’t win if Cal Raleigh is your biggest home run threat (and) when Julio Rodríguez is kind of slipping a bit, and I think (Rodríguez is) going to bounce back in a big way this year.”

Amsinger suggested sought-after free agent first basemen Pete Alonso and Christian Walker.

The 30-year-old Alonso is coming off a 34-homer season where he slashed .240/.329/.459 with a 123 OPS+ in 162 games for the New York Mets. The four-time All-Star has 226 home runs over six seasons, including three of 40 or more, and two top-10 National League MVP finishes.

Alonso is likely looking for a long-term, high-dollar deal. He reportedly turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension from the Mets in 2023. So there’s a good chance he’d be out of the Mariners’ price range.

Walker, who turns 34 at the start of the season, would be a cheaper option but will still likely fetch a solid payday this offseason. He hit 26 home runs with a .251/.335/.468 slash line and a 121 OPS+ with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. He hit over 30 home runs in 2022 and 2023 seasons and has won three straight Gold Gloves.

“If you want a player like Pete Alonso and you’re the Seattle Mariners, you can’t play poker with the same chips,” Amsinger said. “You’re going to have to give him the extra year or two that he wants to lure a guy that is younger than Christian Walker.”

A ‘buy-low’ option

An Alonso or Walker signing would be an unexpected splash for the Mariners, so Wyman and Bob co-host Bob Stelton asked Amsinger if there were any budget friendly players who stick out.

“I don’t believe you’d have to give a gigantic contract to sign Gleyber Torres,”Amsinger said. “Gleyber Torres, ever since the Yankees moved him up in the lineup, really, really bought into taking the ball the other way and became a good hitter again.”

Torres, who turns 28 on Dec. 13, slashed .257/.330/.378 with 26 doubles, 15 home runs and a 101 OPS+ for the New York Yankees last season. The second baseman flipped a switch in the second half, slashing .293/.361/.419 with 11 doubles and seven home runs after the All-Star break.

The Caracas, Venezuela, native was the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball in 2018, according to MLB Pipeline. He slugged 24 homers as a rookie that season and 38 the following year, posting an OPS+ above 120 and earning an All-Star nod in each campaign. But Torres hasn’t built off his massive first two seasons.

“If you go back and look at Gleyber Torres’ numbers early on in his career, you are thinking, ‘My goodness. He’s the Julio of second base.’ We thought he was going to be a 40-homer second baseman,” Amsinger said. “I really think you could buy low on Gleyber Torres, because there’s so many organization’s that don’t know what he is. But if you look at his second half and the way he played in the postseason on the biggest stage, the dude is oozing with talent.

“Is he going to win a Gold Glove? No. Is he a major upgrade to anything else the Mariners would have to put in second base? Absolutely, yes.”

Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-6 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More on the Seattle Mariners’ offseason

• Mariners and More: What MLB insider is hearing before winter meetings
• Success of three types of hitters show what Seattle Mariners need to target
• Drayer: Mariners’ offensive hires show different approach to staff
• Mariners’ TV future: Reporter shares more of what he knows
• Is Cal Raleigh dropping his agent good news for Mariners?

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