Seattle Mariners: Top 50 players of all time
By Nick Lee
36. Carlos Guillen (1998-2003)
Guillen is likely more known for his days as a Tiger. Before his Detroit days, he was part of one of the biggest trades in Mariners history. He went to Seattle in the deal that also brought Freddy Garcia to the Mariners. In exchange, the Astros received a pitcher by the name of Randy Johnson.
During his Mariners days, Guillen was a .264 hitter and played most of the infield spots. His best season was 2002. He hit .261 and set a new career high in home runs (nine), hits (124), runs (73) and RBI (56).
He had four hits including a home run in the 2001 playoffs for the Mariners. Guillen would go on to have three All-Star appearances for Detroit and accumulate 1,331 hits in his 14-year career.
35. Dave Valle (1984-1993)
Valle was drafted in 1978 as a catcher. He turned into the Mariners’ everyday catcher for about six seasons. He played 10 total in Seattle.
His best season was of course his last with the M’s, in 1993. He hit .258 with 13 home runs. He also led the majors in times being hit by a pitch with 17.
Valle was known more for his defensive prowess. He led the majors in fielding percentage for catchers in 1990. He also constantly ranked in the top five in the league in defensive assists.
He had an overall WAR of 9.5 in his time with the Mariners, with a defensive WAR of 5.9. That is eighth-best in franchise history.