Talk is cheap, action speaks

You can't argue with results. Therefore, it's time for Seattle's ownership group to provide some.

Lindsey Wasson / AP Images

Mrs. A’s favorite comedian, Mike Birbiglia, once lamented during a stand-up routine “what I should have said was nothing.” Perhaps Mariners Chairman John Stanton should consider Birbiglia’s words the next time he feels compelled to publicly address the state of his team’s on-field product.

It’s not that I don’t want to hear what Stanton has to say about the organization he’s charged to manage. Quite the opposite. But my preference is for the team’s lead owner to be more authentic during his relatively rare press availabilities. Otherwise, say nothing at all.

To this point, consider Stanton’s most recent interaction with the local media. In an excellent story authored by Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, Stanton was quoted making a firm commitment to support his baseball operations department with the necessary resources to improve the roster.

Sounds promising. But is it?

“Jerry and Justin are 10 times smarter about what it takes to have a successful baseball team. My job is to make sure they have the resources available to get there. And I get up every day to try and do that.” - John Stanton (June, 2024)

Such a statement from an ownership group’s front-man could be viewed as encouraging by many fan bases. But not in Seattle. Unless you’re new to the local sports scene, there’s a decent chance Stanton’s words were met with a heavy dose of skepticism. Mariners fans have heard similar sentiments in the past only to see a lack of meaningful action take place afterwards.

When then-GM Jerry Dipoto received a multi-year extension from the Mariners in September 2021, Stanton said something very similar to what was reported this week.

“Jerry’s a baseball expert. And I rely on Jerry to make baseball decisions.” He has our confidence and will continue to have the resources necessary to execute and achieve the goal.”  - John Stanton (Sept 2021)

At the time, Seattle Times columnist Matt Calkins compared Dipoto to a starting pitcher. His role was to keep the organization in the game, which is what he’s done. But Calkins went on to note that no matter how well Dipoto and his staff did their job, the financial backing of Stanton and his many partners would inevitably determine whether Seattle would get over the hump. Three years later, fans are still waiting for that big push from the top.

More than likely, Stanton would disagree with my assessment. He might counter that his team has committed more money to player salaries in each of the last three seasons. That’s exactly what the long-time tech executive told Divish and Jude this week.

“We’ve grown payroll each of the last three years. Maybe not as much as you would like us to … but we all deal with constraints, right? But we are doing everything we can to put a competitive product on the field.” - John Stanton (June 2024)

Still, Stanton’s true statement is devoid of context - at least it is for me. A review of the Mariners’ payroll does reflect a steady increase in dollars spent. But when we consider where Spotrac ranked Seattle compared to the other 29 MLB clubs in each of those three years, Stanton’s words become less impressive and unconvincing.

Four seasons ago, the Mariners had a 25th-ranked payroll. Climbing all the way to number-21 by the following offseason doesn’t rise to the level of meriting praise from this blogger. Yes, Stanton and his fellow owners committed more money to player salaries in recent years. But haven’t most MLB teams done the same thing?

In reality, Seattle’s payroll ranking remained relatively unchanged last offseason. Sure, the dollars went up. Yet, the organization remained in the upper-teens.

One more thing. A billionaire owner telling his team’s fan base that “we all deal with constraints” is quite the look.

And then there’s Opening Day 2022. Dave “Softy” Maher and Dick Fain of Sports Radio 93.3 KJR directly asked Stanton whether ownership would obligate more funds prior to the MLB trade deadline. The answer was yes, which can catch the reply at approximately the 7:48 mark of the interview.

“We are willing to spend more money.” - John Stanton (April 2022)

Just to be clear, I don’t believe spending more money necessarily breeds success. When you peruse the Spotrac payroll rankings, you’ll see multiple clubs underperforming their high payrolls. Proof positive that investing money doesn’t guarantee success.

On the other hand, the financial wherewithal of organizations ahead of the Mariners in the Spotrac rankings does permit them to make mistakes and continue the pursuit of contention without needing to do a reset. This doesn’t appear to be the case in the Emerald City. I’m usually left with the feeling that the front office must thread a needle when it comes to making substantive moves.

And yes, I appreciate the fact that the changing regional sports network (RSN) landscape has affected the Mariners’ ability to generate revenue. In their piece, Divish and Jude did a superb job of laying out what’s known about the ROOT Sports situation and its potential impact on acquiring premium talent. This undoubtedly affects Seattle’s bottom line. How couldn’t it?

Still, the Mariners aren’t the only organization dealing with RSN challenges. Other clubs scaled back payroll or were less aggressive in last winter’s marketplace as a result. But here’s the rub for me. Many of those teams were obligating significantly more money to payroll than Seattle was before the RSN bubble began to leak. The Rangers, Astros, Mets, and Padres holding firm or being more conservative during an offseason doesn’t have the same feel as the Mariners maintaining the status quo.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect to this observer is the perceived lack of complete buy-in by ownership, while Mariners fans continue to do their part.

Dating back to 2021, there has been a noticeable increase in attendance each season. Granted, COVID-related restrictions in 2021 helped create a sizable spike the following year. However, ticket sales continued to rise in 2023.

As we discussed at the end of 2023, home attendance was tenth-best in Mariners franchise history and seventh-best of the Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park era. Furthermore, the team sold more tickets than six big-market clubs last season: the Red Sox, Angels, Mets, Rangers, Giants, and White Sox.

M’s Highest Regular Season Attendance

2002 - 3,542,938
2001 - 3,507,326
2003 - 3,268,509
1997 - 3,192,237
2004 - 2,940,731
1999 - 2,916,346
2000 - 2,914,624
2005 - 2,725,459
1996 - 2,723,850
2023 - 2,690,418

As for this year, fan support remains on par with 2023. Through 32 home dates, there has been a slight rise in attendance.

Average Attendance/Game Through 32 Home Games

2023: 27,940
2024: 28,565

An increase of 625 fans/game is modest for sure. But it’s important to note the 2023 average rose to 33,215 by season’s end. Clearly, Mariners fever was alive and well during the team’s final 39 home games last year. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the same should be true in 2024.

Ironically, Stanton touched upon attendance early in his tenure as managing partner. When quizzed by Brock Huard and Mike Salk of Seattle Sports 710 AM on whether his team would have the resources to make in-season upgrades, Stanton pivoted to discussing how fans could help put the team over the top.

“We have the resources to do what we need to do. But I want to start by questioning your premise. I believe we have a team that can compete. I believe we have a team that can win 90 games. I think the difference between us making the playoffs, maybe the difference between 85 and 95 or between 90 and 100 is getting people in the ballpark. What do we need to do to get people in the ballpark?” - John Stanton (2017)

With so much interest and support from the fan base, it’s only reasonable to expect Mariners ownership to step up and fulfill its part of the bargain. This means providing Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander with the necessary financial flexibility to add the contracts of established players, assuming doing so better positions the club to make a deep October run.

And to be clear, I’m not suggesting the Mariners must add high-salary players for this deadline season to be considered a success. Instead, I just want to have a sense of confidence that the front office has the support of ownership to make a blockbuster move, if such an opportunity presents itself.

Let’s face it. Long-time Mariners fans, like Mrs. A, have been exceedingly patient for too many years. They deserve to see their team reach the Fall Classic. To this point, ownership has the power to significantly improve the odds of such an outcome happening this year.

All it’ll take is action - not words.

My Oh My…