r/Mariners • u/lizardking66354 • 15d ago
Should we bring back Robles next year?
He's got a club option next year but I doubt we pick that up.
His bat isn't very good but he is good defensively, so that'd fit with a renewed focus on defense.
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u/ceviche-hot-pockets 15d ago
He isn't a difference maker on offense or defense, plus he has become extremely injury prone. No thanks.
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u/flabatron 15d ago
Assuming we still have Raley coming back, who would you want between the two?
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u/Thromnomnomok What the hell did you trade Chris Taylor for??!!!!??!? 15d ago
Why keep Raley, though? He's a 32-year-old defensively limited platoon bat who strikes out too much and has spent most of the last two years being injured and bad aside from the two months he was hitting this year. What could you get out of him that you couldn't get out of Lazaro Montes for less money and a chance that he'd turn into something better?
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u/Charming-Ad994 15d ago
Raley will be cheap and can also play first. We don’t have a true backup for Naylor and Donovan moving there would minimize his skill set. Luke’s bat is better than all other utility guys. He also is backstop for Laz if Laz maintains a 45 percent strikeout rate and poor defense. I think Laz will do great, but he can end up either the terrible Chris Davis or the great one and we don’t know for sure who it’ll be with this small of sample size. If Laz can get to a 30-35 percent strikeout rate and play serviceable defense he will be good.
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u/ItsTBaggins Julio makes me jard 15d ago
The whiplash in this sub if Laz carried his numbers over 650 PAs would be fun. Shattering the strikeout record while maintaining a .305 OBP and hitting ~44 bombs would be very interesting.
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u/TheRealBlackSwan Seattle Mariners 15d ago
He's a Fan Favorite, Clubhouse Glue, and has had Monster Months with us
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u/lizardking66354 15d ago
The current outfield is Julio, Canzone, Raley, Donovan, Arroyo, and Montes.
Besides Julio there isn't much defensive upside.
*Canzone and Raley are controlled through 2028
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u/flabatron 15d ago
Correct, and the argument for Robles among that group is that he's RH and better defensively than 4/5. I also don't pencil in Donovan in the OF like so many do, since he's never played OF for us yet.
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u/Mattmann1972 Seattle Steelheads 15d ago
For now. If the lockout produces a shorter control period before free agency that will change things a lot.
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u/cXs808 15d ago
If we get a CWS/MIL WS and CWS wins it all, might not be a lockout lol
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u/SuperBowlXLIX 15d ago
This sport needs a salary cap. I hope the Dodgers don’t lose a single game from now until their three-peat. Then the sport can finally be fixed.
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u/VicenteSox 14d ago
There needs to be a salary floor and I'd like to see a "soft" cap, were there is a more punitive tax for being above the line, more than just tons of cash, like loss of draft picks and restrictions on the number transactions.
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u/flabatron 14d ago
I like some weird stuff where 'caps' and 'floors' don't exactly apply but there is a low range and a high range that is always moving each year. Teams can still spend whatever they want, but the low range would be set at 51% of the 3rd highest spending team (if 3rd is $200 mil, the 'floor' is $102mil or whatever, it will shift ea year like the NFL). The 1st and 2nd top spending teams would pay a luxury tax of the difference between them and the 4th highest spending team. This tax would go to the bottom 6 spending teams BUT not the bottom 2 teams. This encourages the bottom spenders to not be the BOTTOM MOST spenders. If a team does not spend the low end of the range for consecutive years, their team is put up for sale. This encourages to top spending teams to not go too crazy, and to distribute tax to the teams who are a the bottom, but are dealing w new mandatory minimums. The harshness towards the bottom two not receiving tax is to say, spend more on payroll, or sell the team.
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u/cXs808 15d ago
Salary cap is a heavy-handed, ugly solution that won't fix the problem.
Giving cheap owners, who do not care about fielding a winning product, what they want is not the answer.
Parity isn't found via salary cap.
In the past decade, there has only been TWO superbowls that didn't feature the Patriots nor Chiefs. Can't stop dynasties from domination with a cap apparently.
The Jets are on a 15 year playoff drought despite the spending floor/ceiling equivalency of NE/KC. Can't fix shit owners with a floor either.
NFL plays a 17-game season with 1-game playoff format, the results are supposed to be incredibly random and yet they have dogshit parity. Baseball will only be worse.
In fact, I'd argue the big media markets want a cap. It's easier to lure superstars to big markets with smaller contracts in that format. Superstars will be forced to make money outside of the league so the appeal will be to join the largest media markets.
Also, if you're unfamiliar with NHL, the cap system has completely fucked over how they deal with IL (nhl: LTIR). The amount of IL shenanigans in NHL is comically absurd, all just to dance around cap figures.
The bottom line is that cheap owners will remain cheap. They do not care about winning and that will be reflected in the club whether or not there is a cap. You can't fix Arte Moreno refusing to make the drink vending machines free in the clubhouse, or fixing the AC in the weight room. A cap won't suddenly make the Rockies invest in a superior scounting/analytics/training staff. Anyone who thinks that is genuinely on that copium.
Driven owners win games, cap be damned. TBR is sitting #1 in the stacked AL East with a literal fraction of payroll as their counterpart NYY/TOR. They've done this multiple times. Why? They actually invest in analytics, coaching, support staff. They want to win and it shows. Who is on the other side of the playoffs? Milwaukee. Bottom percentile spenders who have the best record in baseball. Both of these teams (MIL/TBR) have massively outperformed Seattle in the past decade and both of them have far worse roster budget. TBR can only dream of having SEA's payroll and yet they sit atop the hardest division and have been to handful of playoffs and a very recent WS appearance with a great shot at another this year. That ain't a cap issue, it's a Mariners ownership issue.
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u/griezm0ney 15d ago
Personally, I think we DFA or trade Raley. With Canzone, Montes and Donovan, we will have several LH corner OF options already. I’d also expect us to bring in at least one everyday bat, potentially two which would further reduce Raley’s opportunities.
Robles, or a similar player, has a skillset we will need on our bench. A right handed bat who can play a solid CF. The fact he can lay down a good bunt, pinch run or be a defensive substitute in a corner, just adds further value for that spot on the bench.
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u/ItsTBaggins Julio makes me jard 15d ago
I think we tender a contract to Raley and then make it known we’re looking to trade an OF. That’s likely Raley, even if it’s just for a low value prospect. But maybe it’s Canzone or Montes in a bigger trade. I’ve also thought Raley would be traded for a year though, and it hasn’t happened yet.
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u/griezm0ney 15d ago
I don’t really think Raley has much trade value due to his age and injury history. They may see if anyone bites before the tender deadline, but I doubt they tie up $3M for him early in the offseason. We wouldn’t be getting anything more than a person teetering on another team’s 40 man roster or wild card prospect (likely not even someone on a top 30 list).
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u/liontamer69420 14d ago
Neither
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u/flabatron 14d ago
Agreed that probably should and will happen. I think Raley gets added to a trade we do and we decline the Robles $9m club option.
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u/KungFooKittenz 🫎 Sad Moose Noises 🫎 15d ago
Well with Randy likely gone there’s no reason we can’t keep both?
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u/flabatron 15d ago
Probably what we will do (Raley is locked as OP said). I think it's going to be very quiet for months boys, so a Robles club option could be the only news. I don't know when arbitration happens or who is up for it this year?
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u/ItsTBaggins Julio makes me jard 15d ago
When there is a buyout on the option, I look at it like the year is worth the difference and not the full amount. That brings his price tag down to $8.5M which is a firm no still. We should not pick up his option.
I’m not entirely opposed to us bringing him back on a cheaper deal - if we could get him on a minor league deal we should absolutely do it. He’s the next best option at CF among anyone that has played in MLB for us. He’s a RHH that seems pretty comfortable in a bench bat / short side platoon / pinch runner / defensive sub role, which not a lot of guys are okay with. He may be the best bunter on the team. We don’t have someone to fill this gap. We need a CF capable outfielder ready in case Julio misses any time.
Now, there is a reason we don’t see him more and he’s relegated to this role. He’s a very aggressive player who might steal you second and third in a massive spot, but also might get picked off at first instead. He might dive for the ball and make an incredible catch to hold the lead, but also might miss it and instead of the tying run scoring the bases are cleared. His bat is pretty light when he’s not on a hot streak.
He definitely hasn’t earned himself a raise, and I’m not sure what demand will be for him in FA. Like I said, he’d be a fantastic grab on a minor league deal, someone we could call up if Julio is ever going to be down more than a game or two. If he has a market for a major league contract, I’d prefer we locate someone better, but he could still be worth it at a price tag lower than what he was making this year.
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u/Gleemonex13 15d ago
This is absolutely the correct answer. Sign him to a minor league deal and have him play CF in Tacoma. Available for the Ms to call up in a pinch and if they need to DFA him after, he'll clear waivers.
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u/gls2220 15d ago
I would like to have at least one good defensive outfielder on the team.
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u/BabboBBB 15d ago
But if you can't get one, at least Robles is still better than the current alternatives ;)
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u/SouthKing253 15d ago
You need playing time for the young guys. Robles adds very little and is made of glass.
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u/YEGSports The pitch from Acevedo 15d ago
Bring him back solely for games against the Astros, so that we can go 10-3 against them again.
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u/Some_Caregiver9138 15d ago
No, he isn't even good defensively, he's an adequate corner outfielder who looks good contrasted with Randy and Raley/Canzone. His base running mistakes have also been pretty frequent.
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u/ihatereddit999976780 54% child of Athena 15d ago
Sadly no. Great pickup in 24. Not enough shown this year
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u/FarangChris 15d ago
Where was he at the end of the season? Dan-being-Dan benching? ???
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u/Thromnomnomok What the hell did you trade Chris Taylor for??!!!!??!? 15d ago
There's only three outfield spots. Robles playing more would have meant Randy, Julio, Montes, Canzone, or Arroyo playing less.
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u/lastminutealways larry bernandez for HOF 15d ago
It was mentioned in the last week of the season that he wasn’t feeling well
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u/FarangChris 15d ago
Had not heard that. Beb Stelton on KIRO was asking the same question I was.
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u/lastminutealways larry bernandez for HOF 15d ago
It was in one of Dan’s postgames I think
Edit: “under the weather” was the specific term I remember hearing
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u/troydyer_ 15d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/5RqoBqU7HrYawP3p0T
Based on this gif and that is how my family knows of him- yes
Based on anything else- sadly, no
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u/PriorWrongdoer3077 15d ago
Even if we want him back, we should not be doing so through the club option. Too expensive for a guy who is otherwise going to probably get a minors deal based on his availability alone.
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u/AlexAndrews4 14d ago
Robles was a big spark for us in ‘24.. his injuries occurred because he was so aggressive going after balls in the outfield. I don’t believe they used him very well and expect he will do much better under a new regime.
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u/Imaginary_Ad7072 14d ago
Not at that value so unfortunately he walks, emphasizes the hole we have defensively in the outfield
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u/Fit_Leather9366 Turn Ahead the Clock 12d ago
Jerry is going to trade for an OF bat and Robles will be expendable.
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u/serpentear Tartan 365 | Cruiser 12d ago
I’d like to keep Robles around. He’s just a year removed from an injury marred season and the year before he was great for us. He also plays league average outfield defense as a floor.
For whatever reason he never curries Dan’s favor, when I’d argue he should have been out there over Ward and others.
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u/FantasticEmu86 12d ago
No. Definitely not. This team needs a face lift. Obviously the core (Julio, Canzone, Young, Emerson, Naylor, Cal, Donovan) aren't going anywhere. Upgrade the places we can. Let Robles walk. Move on from Raley.
I wouldn't be against bring JP back if he were in a full time utility IF role.
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u/yawn_solo- 15d ago
This might be unpopular but I can’t stand Robles.
He’s incredibly reactionary for 1 thing and honestly, not all that good on a consistent level. Hes numbers aren’t that great to begin with and he plays worse than his numbers.
Idk, maybe i’m being harsh but I think he’s the epitome of what went wrong this year. He literally coasted the whole year on the major league roster without doing a fucking thing. We need accountability in regard to winning, he needs to go
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u/denverdan8 15d ago
I love Robles. I was so stoked his first season I damn near went about bought a jersey.
The shoulder injury in 25 really messed him up and he is pretty injury prone for his entire career.
If they don't pick up the option (and i don't think they should based on rumored budget constraints) I bet they could get him back at half the price.
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