“We are actually doing the fan base a favor by asking them to be patient to win the World Series while we continue to build a sustainably good roster.”
— Jerry Dipoto, October 3, 2023
My favorite key on a keyboard is “Delete.” I would like to believe that if the above quote had been part of Dipoto’s opening statement before Tuesday’s postseason press conference, the Mariners’ president of baseball operations would have emphasized it strongly before addressing reporters. Instead, it was a knee-jerk response to questions about how he would justify just one playoff appearance since the “step-back” rebuilding plan began in 2019.
But the improvisational nature of the reaction doesn’t make it much better. It seemed to me, and probably to many others, like one of the most tone-deaf answers an executive running the only franchise to never reach the World Series could possibly give.
Still, my main takeaway from that press report wasn’t that Dipoto was overly defensive in saying that winning 54 percent of your games over a decade gets you ready for the World Series, or that a year in which the Mariners missed the playoffs actually did was a step forward for the organization. My main takeaway was that Dipoto was primarily protecting M Chairman John Stanton.
Take this sentence, for example: “I don’t know that the solution to our problems lies in big players, and I’m not sure we have big problems.”
While it’s true that “big players” can’t lead a team in the MLB like they can in several other professional sports leagues, they can help significantly. Consider that the Mariners finished two games behind the Astros and Rangers for the division title/final wild-card spot — and then look at the wins above replacement, which highlight the league’s 25 most productive players. All had a WAR of at least 5.1, meaning – if the formula is correct – adding any of these players would have theoretically given the Mariners the division crown. The same could probably have been said about the Mariners reaching the postseason in 2021 or 2016 – both of which happened in the Stanton/Dipoto era.
But big-name players usually cost a lot of money. And if you look at MLB payrolls over the last four years (after the “retirement” announcement), the Mariners have never been higher than 18th.
Spending does not guarantee titles or even playoff appearances in Major League Baseball. The 2023 Mets and Padres are proof of that. But over time, the teams that spend the most tend to have the most success.
The football analogy would be that there are a lot of late-round draft picks in the NFL that have reached the Pro Bowl level, and there are also a lot of first-round losses in the NFL. But overall, the first-round tests are far more effective than the second- and third-day tests.
In short, the Mariners should shell out the money.
You can’t tell me there isn’t a great player out there worth courting by Seattle. In fact, there’s probably the biggest one – a Shohei Ohtani – who (A) would make an immediate impact on the Mariners’ mediocre offense (he was a triple threat before an oblique injury sidelined him for the last month) and (B) could too can be purchased at a discounted (but still expensive) price considering he won’t be pitching next year.
I understand Dipoto’s reluctance to spend money just to impress your fan base. Remember, he was with the Angels when they signed both Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols, both massive contracts that crippled the Halos for years.
And since we’re talking about this team and the implications for a World Series-or-bust mindset, don’t forget how much the Angels gave up before the last trade deadline to try to make the playoffs and re-recruit Ohtani to finish 73-89.
In some ways, Dipoto resembled an overly direct doctor who gave a prognosis on Tuesday without a bit of medical attention. But he also wanted to be preemptive: We don’t need blanket names, so don’t be angry if we don’t sign them.
To his credit, Dipoto has taken full responsibility for the lack of offseason signings that could have catapulted the Mariners into the playoffs. And in the main defense overall – two-time All-Star Julio Rodriguez, the team’s highest-paid player, went 2 for 28 in the last seven games at home, and star Luis Castillo gave up nine earned runs over 8 2/. 3 innings in his last two starts.
That’s because of the Mariners’ star players.
All in all, we’ve seen two standout themes in the eight-year Stanton era. The Mariners almost always miss the playoffs and the Mariners almost never spend a lot of money.
Dipoto might have endured the ridicule for his comments on Tuesday, but it’s the man above who deserves the scrutiny.
Matt Calkins: [email protected]; on twitter: @matt_calkins. Matt Calkins joined the Seattle Times as a sports columnist in August 2015 after three years at the San Diego Union Tribune. Not afraid to take a stand or go off the beaten path, Matt is as comfortable writing about the human condition as he is about walk-offs or buzzer-beaters. His mother reads the comments, so be careful with him.