The Seattle Mariners Regret List: Ones That Got Away

The Seattle Mariners are in the middle of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers, who are currently battling the Oakland A's for the top spot in the AL West.  A key figure to their success is Adrian Beltre, who I don’t remember too fondly.  As a Mariner, while he was funny in his commercials and his defense was his one saving grace, ultimately he was overpaid (five years for $64 million), overhyped, and associated with some of the Mariners’ most cringe-worthy seasons.

While underperforming during his time in Seattle, his numbers picked up after he left.  Though many factors contribute to a player’s individual and team success, Beltre reminds me of other notable ex-Mariners whose best years came after their stints in Seattle.

Here are my top 5 ex-Mariners who the front office may still mourn today:

5. Jamie Moyer

One can argue that Moyer’s ten years as a Mariner were his best, as he holds many records in the franchise, as the all-time leader for most innings pitched (2093), starts (323), and wins (145) by a Mariners pitcher.  

After the Mariners, Moyer was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he contributed to their 2008 season run to become World Series Champions.  He had 16 regular season wins and pitched in Game Three of the WS, going 6⅓ innings with five strikeouts, giving up only three runs and five hits, ending with a Phillies’ win, but a no-decision for Moyer.  In 2012, Moyer signed with the Colorado Rockies at the age of 49, his last year in the majors.  But he finished his 25-year career on top, making MLB history as the oldest pitcher to win a regular season game and the oldest pitcher to record an RBI.

4. Adam Jones

Drafted by the Mariners in 2003 as the 37^th overall pick, Jones would make his MLB debut on July 14, 2006, starting in centerfield against the Toronto Blue Jays, going 0-for-3.  He only played two seasons with the Ms, appearing in 73 games.

He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in a multi-player deal for starting pitcher Eric Bedard.  Baltimore seems to agree with Jones as he continues to grow as a player, with highlights in 2009 and 2012 when he was selected for the All-Star team and won Gold Glove awards.  And as for his team presence, his current batting average is .292, with 15 HRs and 57 RBIs on the season.  He bats cleanup for the Os, who made things interesting last year in the AL East, winning the Wild Card spot, and proving themselves to be contenders with Jones as the Most Valuable Oriole (named in 2011 and 2012). 

3. Adrian Beltre

As alluded to earlier, during his time with the Mariners, Beltre’s bat was quiet (career BA .266 with the Ms, compared to .274 with the Los Angeles Dodgers) but his defense was solid, earning two Gold Glove awards.  Also memorable was his inside-the-park home run against the Boston Red Sox during the bottom of the 8^th inning in 2006 – the very first in Safeco Field history. 

After he left Seattle, it’s as if a curse was lifted (or one could argue the pitcher’s park Safeco Field was his kryptonite) because Beltre’s bat came alive, reminiscent of his power-hitting with the Dodgers, prior to his stint with the Ms.  Now he is a three-time All-Star, won two additional Silver Slugger awards and two more Gold Glove awards.  Then there’s his contribution to a winning team – seeing his first pennant win and World Series visit in 2011 with the Rangers and currently batting .296 with 14 HRs and 42 RBIs on the season.

2. Randy Johnson

Part of the magical 1995 season, “The Big Unit” is one of the best Mariners pitchers, if not one of the greatest pitchers in the MLB, of all time.  His tenure with the Ms was from 1989-1998 and in that span of time, he was an All-Star (1990, 1993-1995, 1997) and Cy Young winner (1995, his first of many and the very first awarded to a Mariners pitcher), pitched the first no-hitter in franchise history (June 2, 1990 against the Detroit Tigers), and my personal favorite, had a cameo in the movie “The Little Big League,” along with Ken Griffey Jr. and Lou Piniella!

Since departing from the Mariners, Johnson played for the Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.  He retired in 2010, but not before another five elections to the All-Star Game (equal the amount of times he went as a Mariner to make him a 10-time All-Star), Cy Young winner another four times, 2001 World Series Champion with the Diamondbacks, World Series MVP, 2002 Triple Crown winner, and in 2004, he joined the ranks of illustrious pitchers to pitch a perfect game. 

1. Alex Rodriguez

Though I hate to give A-Rod the distinction of #1 on any list, it’s difficult not to wonder what could have been if Rodriguez stayed in Seattle, stayed clean and the front office built the team around his young talent. 

Before Rodriguez became infamous and his name synonymous with cheating, he was the first overall draft pick by the Mariners in 1993, signing right out of high school.  1996 was a year of firsts for A-Rod: his first full season in the MLB, first All-Star Game appearance, first Silver Slugger award, and his first year as AL Batting Champion.

Then in 2001, before there was LeBron James, there was A-Rod sticking it to the Seattle fans, signing with the Texas Rangers, a 10-year, $252 million contract.  The rest is history – A-Rod went on to win many more awards as a Ranger and a Yankee, win his first World Series Championship with the Yankees in 2009, and is now the center of constant criticism and debate, joining hero-villains like Barry Bonds and Pete Rose.

As we have reached the mathematical halfway point, let’s hope the front office remembers these lost opportunities as a way to grow and make better decisions for the franchise in the future.