For a team with a playoff drought that’s finally old enough to drink alcohol—in addition to a general manager who said he was “ready to transact”—the Seattle Mariners sure seem to be idle this offseason.
On the heels of the new CBA announcement and the ensuing transaction freeze being lifted Thursday, M’s GM Jerry Dipoto said Friday that his team is in the market for two sluggers, a lefty reliever who could start, and perhaps even a high-end starting pitcher.
Well, Seattle fans have (so far) been given Steven Souza Jr.—who signed a minor league deal with a spring training invite. If he makes the team, he’ll receive a $1 million salary.
Souza, 30, spent most of the ‘21 season with the Dodgers’ Oklahoma City Class AAA affiliate and racked up a .274/.396/.554 line with 14 doubles, a triple, 12 homers, and 35 RBI over 56 games. He had a cup of coffee with the MLB club to the tune of .152/.222/.333 with a double, triple, homer, and three RBI over 17 games off the bench.
So… the move doesn’t exactly light up the transaction page. It did light up the Mariners faithful on Twitter, though:
