Infield options for next year

[D-train]

Seems I made Seattle or Bust famous. 109k views of his collage..

Screenshot 2026-01-02 092039.png (692.98 KiB) Viewed 112 times

[D-train]

So 4 people prefer Ben over Okamoto. .600 OPS in MLB vs. almost 1.000 OPS in Japan. Do you believe his late summer PCL stats will translate? I am skeptical.

I’m with you. We have an option to get a guy who has defensive value (in Japan, but still…) and he can hit.

Yes, defense has value, and Ben Williamson plays elite defense at third base. But the Mariners need offense, especially in the infield. We’ve had elite defenders who can’t hit before, and it didn’t pan out (where is Evan White now?)

If the Mariners can sign Okamoto to a 4 year deal, that makes Williamson somewhat redundant. Package him into a trade deal for another MOR starter.

Okamoto, Young, JP and Naylor looks like a pretty decent infield to me.

Totally agree.

[bpj]

Defense shmefense.

Defense will never give you a lead.

And a lead is the only thing that will ever give you a win.

Get bats. Score runs. Win.

[Big_Maple]

Defense shmefense.

Defense will never give you a lead.

And a lead is the only thing that will ever give you a win.

Get bats. Score runs. Win.

Yep.

But it’s nice to have both.

Ergo, Okamoto is a safer bet. IMHO.

[bpj]

Defense shmefense.

Defense will never give you a lead.

And a lead is the only thing that will ever give you a win.

Get bats. Score runs. Win.

Yep.

But it’s nice to have both.

Ergo, Okamoto is a safer bet. IMHO.

Agreed, a player still needs to pack their glove.

But as long as they play ~ average defense, the bat is all that matters.

Half the runs scored in modern baseball are by homerun. No defense is going to help.

[Double Mocha Man]

    ◦    Speed: Near-zero threat on the bases.


We can always get Naylor to tutor him.

[bhofferb]

Defense shmefense.

Defense will never give you a lead.

And a lead is the only thing that will ever give you a win.

Get bats. Score runs. Win.

Yep.

But it’s nice to have both.

Ergo, Okamoto is a safer bet. IMHO.

As I said in another thread, if Williamson can't be at least an average MLB hitter he's a liability no matter how good his glove is. Basically Evan White 2.0

Sign Okamoto. If Williamson does hit, then Okamoto is a full time DH

[D-train]

Okamoto discussion:

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/wh ... 20331.html

[Big_Maple]

Okamoto discussion:

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/wh ... 20331.html

Let’s sign him already.

[D-train]

This says we are in on him:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/ ... arket.html