The Seattle Mariners took significant gambles to strengthen their chances for an October run—and those moves paid off impressively. Late in the season, they became one of baseball’s hottest teams, climbing the American League standings and snatching the AL West title from the Houston Astros in the final weeks.
Their pitching staff ranked among the best in the league, and Cal Raleigh delivered a historic offensive campaign, though Aaron Judge may edge him out for AL MVP honors. At the trade deadline, Seattle made bold moves by acquiring Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor—both of whom proved valuable down the stretch and are now set to enter free agency this offseason.
The Mariners are going to need to make some big decisions over the next few months, but before they could make any of these decisions, they lost a veteran pitcher to free agency.
Mariners pitcher elects free agency
Mariners pitcher has decided to move on from Seattle, officially electing free agency this offseason.
The 38-year-old right-hander has spent parts of five seasons in the majors, including two separate stints with the Mariners—in 2017–2018 and again this year. Throughout his MLB career, Lawrence has appeared in 65 games and posted a 6.42 ERA. While not a standout bullpen arm, he’s been a reliable depth option, often stepping in when injuries or roster shortages have tested teams’ pitching depth.
Seattle is very unlikely to want a reunion with Lawrence again. In fact, it’s going to be quite tough for him to find another big league job this offseason. He’s already 38 years old and doesn’t have the most successful track record.
Meanwhile, the Mariners are likely going to prioritize retaining Naylor or Suárez this winter. After that, they could still be aggressive with other top free agents on the market.
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