Seattle Mariners rumors are addressing Yonder Alonso and whether he is the answer at first base for the 2018 MLB season. Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto traded rookie outfielder Boog Powell to the Oakland Athletics to acquire Alonso. It was a summer trade intended to help the Mariners on offense, giving the team a player who had just appeared on the American League All-Star team.
In 40 games for the Mariners, Alonso had a .265 batting average, .353 on-base percentage, six home runs, and 18 RBIs. His power numbers weren’t quite what Mariners fans had hoped for, but he did have a few clutch hits down the stretch.
Baseball Reference reported that Alonso had a positive WAR score on offense, but ended up rated as negative on the defensive side of the ball.
Alonso’s splits with Mariners
When it comes to Yonder Alonso’s stats it’s important to point out that he is definitely a platoon player, as his splits aren’t good. Alonso posted a nice .282 batting average, 23 home runs, and 57 RBIs against right-handed pitchers. Going up against lefties, though, he only hit .181 with five home runs and 10 RBIs. It’s clear that the team would need to continue the use of a platoon with a second player who does better against left-handed pitchers.
This is where the Seattle Mariners rumors could get interesting, as the team cannot rely on Yonder Alonso to be a full-time first baseman with those ugly splits.
His career numbers against lefties aren’t much better, where he has a .234 average and just 11 home runs in 589 plate appearances. It’s not easy for a manager to deal with a platoon at a position where offense is expected (first base), but it could work if the Mariners can find someone who hits lefties really well.
Does Alonso want to re-sign with the Mariners?
It certainly sounds like Alonso would be interested in signing with the Mariners if the offer was right. He spoke to Greg Johns recently, giving some quotes that indicate he has enjoyed his time in Seattle. “"I love it here," Alonso said.”It's awesome, a first-class group, and they treated me well.
I'd love to be back here. I think the future here is very bright, and we're very close to winning, and I would definitely want to be a part of that.”
Jerry Dipoto also spoke well of Yonder Alonso, but can the Mariners afford him and a platoon player to face lefties? There are a lot of Seattle Mariners rumors about what the team will or should do this offseason and fans primarily want starting pitching. Signing one or two of the notable free agent pitchers could eat up the money that would be allocated to Alonso. While trading to acquire Mike Leake was a good start, the Mariners still have holes in the rotation. The Mariners also have to deal with pending arbitration cases, including one for ace starting pitcher James Paxton. While Alonso could be a good asset to keep in Seattle, can Seattle even afford him?
