Seattle Mariners: The disappearing bat, Guillermo Heredia 2018

Going forward

Right now it is unclear how the Mariners outfield situation will shake out in 2019. Seattle must decide if Dee Gordon will be playing center field or second base. That may depend on whether or not the Mariners pick up an everyday center fielder this winter.

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Haniger is the right fielder for now. Maybin will be a free agent so he probably won’t return. Span and Gamel will compete for the left field spot against righties. Most likely, Heredia will be back in his best role, as a part-time player.

What I like about Heredia, in addition to what I said at the beginning of this story, is that he’s a contact hitter. He can bunt, runs the bases well, plays good defense, and has the fundamentals the Seattle Mariners are short of.

After his .310 start, Heredia ended the season at .236 and had an on-base percentage of .318. 2019 will be his third MLB season, it would be nice if he could increase his batting average up to .270 and on-base percentage to .350. Those would probably be the minimum numbers he would have to reach, due to his very limited power (12 home runs in 870 career at-bats) if he wants another shot at a starting job.

Ultimately, Heredia’s best value to the Mariners may be as a trade chip. It’s no secret that Seattle has a big need for starting pitchers. If they can use the defensive specialist to accomplish that goal, then they absolutely should.

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