No tears for Teo

It's perplexing that Teoscar Hernández leaving Seattle in 2023 still frustrates a segment of the club's fanbase.

Lindsey Wasson / AP Images

Mariners fans have plenty of reasons to be frustrated. There’s the organization’s inability to reach the postseason despite having one of baseball’s best starting rotations. A lack of activity in the trade and free agent markets this offseason isn’t helping morale, either. And let’s not overlook the possibility that the uncharacteristic idleness of the front office is attributable to payroll constraints placed upon it by ownership.

Having said that, I struggle to understand why a segment of Mariners fans still feel annoyed over Teoscar Hernández leaving Seattle after the 2023 season. The organization’s decision to not tender the $20.3 million qualifying offer (QO) to the two-time All-Star and his subsequent signing with the Dodgers continues to stick in the craw of some fans.

Perhaps the Mariners were concerned Hernández would accept the QO. This would’ve potentially forced the front office to obligate a considerable portion of its allotted offseason acquisition budget to a player coming off an okay-ish season (.258 AVG/.305 OBP/.435 SLG).

Then again, it’s plausible that Hernández would’ve turned down the QO in order to test free agency and pursue a longer-term contract. Los Angeles eventually inked the then-31-year-old to a one-year deal for slightly more than the QO ($24.5 million). He’d go on to enjoy one of his better seasons, which further fueled the fire for Seattle fans still clenching their teeth over his departure.

Those old wounds were reopened this week when Hernández signed a three-year deal to stay with the Dodgers.

Just to be clear. My inclusion of the preceding Twitter post isn’t meant as criticism of the account’s owners. I love their passion for the Mariners. Maybe this post and others like it from other social media accounts are more about the overall sense of exasperation a segment of the fanbase has with the team’s direction than Hernández signing elsewhere.

Still, if there are fans truly uptight with Hernández going to and staying in Los Angeles, I don’t get it.

Again, I’m not trying to be critical of anyone. Fans should fan however they please regardless of what this nerd or anyone else thinks. But let’s face it. The numbers suggest Hernández wasn’t a good fit at Seattle’s home field - T-Mobile Park.

To see what I mean, take a look at Hernández’s home and away splits for the last three seasons when the Dominican Republic native played with three different clubs.

Across the board, Hernández’s worst production stats were at T-Mobile Park in 2023. Yet, the three-time Silver Slugger’s away numbers during his lone campaign with Seattle were commensurate with what he delivered on the road with the Blue Jays and Dodgers.

Why wouldn’t Hernández test free agency after struggling at a new home field?

Why wouldn’t Seattle be hesitant to retain Hernández after witnessing his difficulties?

Having said all that, I continue to believe acquiring Hernández was a good move by the Mariners. It just didn’t work out as expected. Second-guessers may cite the nine-year veteran’s struggles with Seattle as a failure of the organization. But that’s revisionist history. At the time of the deal, the Hernández acquisition was largely viewed as a good trade.

As I said at the beginning, Mariners fans have a multitude of reasons to feel uptight about the club’s current state. I just don’t view Teoscar Hernández’s success as a Dodger after a tough year in Seattle as cause for frustration.

Now, if you want to talk about the Mariners’ second base and third base situations, I’m all ears.

My Oh My…