SEATTLE — The words "payroll flexibility" hadn't quite entered the Mariners' offseason lexicon back on Nov. 22 of last year when they somewhat surprisingly traded Eugenio Suarez to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for catcher Seby Zavala and right-handed reliever Carlos Vargas.

While Suarez was coming off a year that didn't quite meet his or the team's expectations, he was still viewed as a productive player and a team leader with his calming presence and "Good Vibes Only" philosophy.

There were legitimate concerns that a dip in his power production and high strikeout rate would continue to worsen as he entered his mid 30s. But Suarez's salary — $11 million in 2024 — and a $15 million club option for 2025 with a $2 million buyout — provided the larger impetus. While it wasn't public knowledge at the time, Mariners ownership had decided to curtail the expected increase to the 2024 payroll budget due to projections of lost revenues.

If Jerry Dipoto, the president of baseball operations, and his staff wanted to add to their roster, they needed to free up money by moving larger contracts. In a calculated decision based on his age, production and contract, Suarez was the start of what would be several trades to create "payroll flexibility" to retool certain parts of the roster.

Suarez's regression didn't happen. After a slow start to the 2024 season, he posted a .256/.319/.469 slash line with 28 doubles, two triples, 30 homers, 101 RBI, 49 walks and 176 strikeouts in 158 games. He was good enough for the Diamondbacks to pick up that club option for this coming season at age 33.

And the Mariners? Well, they tried to patch the position together with a platoon of utility infielders. It did not go well.

It's possible they may be forced to do it again in 2025.

As we continue our offseason position overviews, here's a look at what the Mariners will do at third base moving forward.

Current depth chart

— MLB: Josh Rojas/Dylan Moore

— Triple-A Tacoma: Ben Williamson, Nick Dunn

— Double-A Arkansas: Ben Ramirez

— High-A Everett: Caleb Cali, Luis Suisbel

— Low-A Modesto: Brandon Eike, Starlin Aguilar

Key number

7 — The number of outs above average (Baseball Savant defensive metric) and defensive runs saved (Sports Info Solutions) produced by Josh Rojas while playing third base. He was the only third baseman in the American League to post seven-plus in each category.

Key offseason question

Will the Mariners be forced into using another platoon of utility infielders at third base in 2025?

Key quote

"The infield in general has been an area where we're piecing it together. Obviously, the productivity at a couple of positions is something we do have to take a closer look at." — Jerry Dipoto

Overview

When the Mariners sent reliever Isaiah Campbell to the Red Sox in exchange for infielder Luis Urias on Nov. 17, 2023, it seemed like another buy-low acquisition to provide depth as a utility infielder and a potential bounce-back candidate.

But really it was the Mariners tipping their hand at an amended offseason plan of creating payroll flexibility.

Understanding they were going to have to trade Suarez to free up money, they traded for the arbitration-eligible Urias before he could be nontendered by the Red Sox and become a free agent. Their plan was to have him play third base as part of a platoon with Rojas.

Urias was coming off a miserable 2023 season where he strained a hamstring in the first game of the season and missed the next two months. When he returned, he played so poorly, posting a .145/.299/.236 slash line in 68 plate appearances, that the Brewers optioned him to Triple-A on June 29. He was acquired by Boston at the 2023 MLB trade deadline to serve as depth. In 32 games with Boston, he posted a .225/.361/.337 slash line with four doubles, two homers, 13 RBI, 14 walks and 26 strikeouts.

The Mariners hoped he could return to something close to his 2021-2022 production level where he hit a combined 41 homers and drove in 122 runs.

He did not.

Instead, Urias arrived at spring training overweight and out of shape and nursing an injury to his throwing shoulder supposedly due to a fall in the offseason.

He was unable to throw during infield drills and hesitant, if not resistant, to infield coach Perry Hill's vocal teaching and intensity as well as the daily fundamental drills.

Rojas, who hadn't played third base consistently since 2022, also looked a little out of sorts early in spring, trying to re-find his footwork and timing after playing mostly middle infield the previous two seasons.

At the time, Matt Chapman, a multiple Gold Glove winner at third base and a player the Mariners tried to acquire from the A's prior to the 2022 season, was available as a free agent. He was anxious to sign with a team even it meant a short-term contract. It seemed like such an easy remedy to a looming problem.

Dipoto was asked about the third base situation on Seattle Sports 710-AM on Feb. 28.

His response: "I like our situation at third base. They're both guys who've been successful major league players. If you combine each of their best seasons, you've got about a 5.5-win player, which is no joke. They just do it in a slightly different way."

Dipoto's math wasn't incorrect. But those best seasons came in 2022 when Urias posted a 2.4 FanGraphs WAR and Rojas posted a 2.5 fWAR. In that same 2022 season, Suarez provided a 4.3 fWAR for the Mariners.

The combined fWAR from the Urias/Rojas platoon didn't quite reach career levels. Urias was abysmal at the plate and shaky in the field early in the season. He was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on May 22 after posting a .152/.264/.317 slash line with four doubles, three homers, 12 RBI, seven walks and 31 strikeouts in 34 games. He wouldn't return from Tacoma until Aug. 31, playing in seven games to close out the season. He finished with a 0.2 fWAR.

Rojas gave the Mariners something close to expected production, finishing the season with a 2.2 fWAR. He got off to a torrid start at the plate, posting a .330/.395/.482 slash line with four doubles, two triples, three homers, nine RBI, 12 walks and 23 strikeouts in his first 34 games of the season. With Urias optioned and injuries to J.P. Crawford, Rojas had to play more than just a platoon role for extended periods. Predictably, he was unable to sustain his early hitting pace.

Over his final 108 games, he posted a .187/.272/.284 slash line with 15 doubles, five homers, 22 RBI, 34 walks and 85 strikeouts. To his credit, he was exceptional defensively at third base and probably should have been a finalist for the Gold Glove.

As a whole, the Mariners got a .213/.301/.341 slash line with 12 homers, 40 RBI, 14 stolen bases, 57 walks and 158 strikeouts from the position on the season. The league average was a .242/.308/.393/ slash line with 19 homers, 73 RBI, 52 walks and 140 strikeouts.

And Chapman?

He signed a one-year, $18 million contract with the Giants with player options for 2025 and 2026 and a mutual option for 2027. He posted a .247/.328/.463 slash line with 27 homers and 98 RBI and a 5.5 fWAR. It earned him a long-term extension with the Giants.

Dipoto has acknowledged they need to upgrade at multiple infield positions, including third base, but that they likely won't be able to add at first, second and third base. There isn't a fit on the free agent market. Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is out of their price range. The rest project as utility players that work more as a platoon. If they wanted to acquire an everyday third baseman, it would require a trade and a cost in return. It's very possible they roll with a platoon of Rojas and Dylan Moore in 2025.

Their situation at third base has never been more uncertain since the halcyon days of Chone Figgins.

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