The Mariners expect to lure the All-Star slugger to Seattle with an $80 million contract

It’s a story as old as time: Winter has arrived in Major League Baseball and the Seattle Mariners desperately need an offense.

Seattle missed the playoffs for the second straight season despite having a top-five pitcher on the team, and talk of the front office’s failure to put a competent lineup on the field is growing louder. Somehow the Mariners need to find a new formula this offseason.

T-Mobile Park is difficult to get to, so getting to Seattle and producing is a tall order for any free agent. But the Mariners have to keep trying, and frankly, many of their acquisitions in recent years (e.g. Mitch Garver, Jesse Winker) haven’t been big enough against Seattle.

The Mariners need a real hitter this winter. Maybe they could find one in the person of Anthony Santander.

The Baltimore Orioles All-Star is one of the best free agent hitters on the market and should fit within Seattle’s price range. On Thursday, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter predicted that Santander would reach a four-year, $80 million deal with the Mariners.

“Anthony Santander doesn’t offer much secondary value with his defense in the outfield or his speed on the bases, but he is an elite power hitter and hit a young Baltimore lineup with 44 career home runs,” said Reuters.

“The Phillies signed (Kyle Schwarber) to a four-year, $79 million contract ahead of the 2022 season, and that seems to be a reasonable range for the type of contract Santander can expect this winter. No team needs a proven middle man more than the Mariners.”

The 30-year-old Santander hit .235/.305/.509 this season, but the key number was 44 home runs. If he can replicate that game-changing power in Seattle, where it’s easier for a right winger to hit than it was at Camden Yards this year (Santander is a switch-hitter), it will be a game-changer for the Mariners.

It’s an ideal landing spot for Santander, who would become one of the key cogs in the lineup, and it’s an ideal destination for the Mariners, who need someone to boost the offense in any way possible. Hopefully Santander will not continue the tradition of free agents once they arrive in the Emerald City.

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