Cal Raleigh needs more from Mariners ownership and the front office.
Speaking to reporters after the team’s 6-1 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday — which eliminated Seattle from postseason contention — the Mariners catcher implored the organization to take a more aggressive free-agency approach and open its wallet.
“We’ve got to commit to winning, we have to commit to going and getting those players you see other teams going out (to get), going for it, getting big-time pitchers, getting big-time hitters. We have to do that to keep up,” Raleigh said of the team, which is known for being reserved in free agency, according to the Seattle Times.
“I think we’ve done a great job of growing some players here and within the farm system, but sometimes you have to go out and buy, and that’s just the name of the game. We’ll see what happens this offseason. Hopefully, we can add some players and become a better team.”
The Mariners provided one of the feel-good stories in baseball last season when they ended their 21-year postseason drought.
At the time, Raleigh hit the walk-off homer that clinched Seattle’s postseason berth.
The Astros later swept the Mariners in the ALDS en route to their 2022 World Series title.
Although Seattle entered the 2023 season looking to qualify for the playoffs in back-to-back years for just the second time in franchise history, the Mariners fell short.
Their 6-1 loss, combined with the Astros’ 1-0 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday, officially eliminated them from the playoffs.
While the Mariners can still win a very respectable 88 games, Raleigh’s comments hinted at underlying frustration with the team’s approach to both the offseason and the trade deadline.
The Mariners had a very quiet offseason.
Aside from acquiring Teoscar Hernandez in a trade with the Blue Jays, their free agent signings of AJ Pollock, Trevor Gott and Tommy La Stella had minimal effect on the team.
At the deadline, the team prioritized the future by trading away closer Paul Sewald to the Diamondbacks.
The Mariners’ approach was a stark contrast to that of the Astros’ and Rangers’, who both had active offseasons and trade deadlines, and qualified for the playoffs ahead of Seattle.
“You look over in the other locker room (Rangers) right there,” Raleigh said, per the Seattle Times. “They’ve added more than anybody else, and you saw where it got them this year. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, that’s for sure.
“But going out and getting those big names, people who’ve done it, people who have been there, people who are leaders, people who have shown time and time again they can be successful in this league, is definitely would help this clubhouse, would help this team, maybe help those little things that we need.”
The Mariners stand to potentially lose Hernandez in free agency this offseason, but otherwise stand to bring back a solid core.
“We have to become a better team,” Raleigh said, per the Seattle Times. “Straight up. We’ve been right at this 90-win mark for a few years now. We’ve just got to get better. Something’s got to change. You know, I don’t think by any means we’re a bad team this year, but it’s not where we want to be. We want to get into the World Series. You want to make the playoffs every single year. And in order to do that, some things have to change, and it starts with the players here in the clubhouse.”
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