The Seattle Mariners boast one of baseball's most loaded pitching staffs. Despite that, they fell short of their goals in 2024 by missing the postseason for the second straight season and the 22nd time in 23 years.
One of the main culprits of their disappointing season was the lack of production from their lineup. For all the talent they boast in their starting rotation, Seattle had an extremely underwhelming collection of hitters. They didn't do much to improve on that during the offseason, as their lone signing was veteran infielder Jorge Polanco.
Their lack of spending to improve their lineup is potentially preventing them from being true contenders for the World Series, and it prompted a rather critical review of their offseason from former Mariners infielder Justin Turner, who left the team to sign with the Chicago Cubs in free agency.
Turner couldn't help but question the team's motivation and approach to the offseason, going as far as to rip them over their lack of a significant offensive signing.
"The fact that they missed the playoffs by one game, and didn’t go out and add an impact bat or two when you have the best pitching staff in baseball just seems absurd to me," Turner told USA TODAY Sports.
"Honestly, as much as I wanted to be back there, if I was the only piece they brought back in, I would be saying the same thing: 'What the hell are we doing? Are you trying?'" he said. "There's not going to a better time to go for it. So, I don't know what they're doing. I'm very confused. It's a head-scratcher for me."
Turner went as far as to suggest Seattle's rotation, consisting of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller, was potentially the "best five starting pitchers in the history of the game." Yet, despite their abundance of riches on the mound, the team seemingly refuses to acknowledge or address their shortcomings offensively.
Turner made clear he feels the organization is wasting a shot at a World Series, and he couldn't help but express his confusion over the situation. "Big Red" featured in 48 games for the Mariners last year after being acquired in a trade from the Toronto Blue Jays, and he saw first-hand just how much potential this team had if they had only had a lineup on par with, or even close to as dependable, as their top-tier pitching staff. The lack of offseason activity to address that left him perplexed.
"I thought [Pete] Alonso was a slam-dunk. How can you not go after him? You kidding me?" Turner asked.
Alonso ended up re-signing with the New York Mets on a short-term deal, and Turner couldn't help but wonder why a team that's set to come in well under the luxury tax wouldn't pursue him more closely.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Justin Turner Rips Mariners' Offseason Approach: 'What the Hell Are We Doing?'.
