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The Ten Worst Mariners Free Agent Signings Ever

By Ben Renner

Aug 22, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners general manger Jerry Dipoto laughs with one of his players during batting practice before a game against the New York Yankees at Safeco Field. Seattle defeated New York, 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 22, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners general manger Jerry Dipoto laughs with one of his players during batting practice before a game against the New York Yankees at Safeco Field. Seattle defeated New York, 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The M’s didn’t pay nearly as much for Dae-Ho Lee as they did for Pete O’Brien in today’s money, and Lee still has a chance to redeem himself back in the KBO. O’Brien isn’t a former foreign league MVP like Lee is, either. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Pete O’Brien

2016 equivalent: Dae-Ho Lee

Dae-Ho Lee was an unknown commodity coming to the MLB last season. Even though he had an impressive career in the Korean and Japanese major leagues, Jerry Dipoto gave him a minor league deal. Lee had an uneven 2016 campaign, hitting 14 home runs, including a couple walk-offs, but also spending time working on his swing in Tacoma. Comparing him to Pete O’Brien is like comparing Guillermo Heredia to Carl Everett–the Mariners didn’t overpay for the fringe player.

In all fairness, O’Brien was highly touted in 1989 when the M’s were looking for another big bat to pair with Alvin Davis in the middle of the order. In comes O’Brien, the first big free agent signing in M’s history. The slugger inked a four-year, $7.6 million deal. In those times, that’s a big contract. He once hit 20 or more home runs for three straight years with the Rangers before coming to the M’s.

But after his signing, O’Brien disappointed. He and his glasses hit for a career-low .224 in his first year with Seattle in 1990 and established a new career low in 1993 with a .222 average. Because Seattle had committed so much money to him, they had to keep him around for all four years of his contract. Over that time, O’Brien slashed .237/.304/.371 with only 43 home runs. In a way, O’Brien taught an early generation of Mariners fans to inherently distrust free agent signings, a useful instinct for us, indeed.

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