As the Seattle Mariners fight to stay atop the AL West the team placed struggling veteran Ty France on outright waivers Sunday. The move in the lead up to the MLB trade deadline creates a vacancy at first base that the Mariners hope to fill via trade.
Despite being waived by Seattle, France had positive memories to share of his time with the club. Discussing his favorite moment from the five years he spent with the Mariners, France acknowledged that, “Ending the playoff drought is up there for me,” according to Seattle Times Mariners beat writer Ryan Divish.
“You know the city was starved for the playoffs for a long time and to be a part of that group to help end that drought and bring the city what they deserve is very special. Not only for me, but for my wife and family. The city has been incredible to us and we're very grateful for everything,” France said, per Divish on X.
France was referring to the 20-year playoff drought the Mariners endured before the team finally made the postseason by grabbing a Wild Card berth in the 2022 season. France and the Mariners swept the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALWC that season before they were swept by the Houston Astros in the ALDS.
France personally had one of his best offensive seasons in 2022. The Mariners’ first baseman had career-best totals in home runs (20) and RBI (83) as well as 27 doubles, an OPS+ of 125 and 3.1 WAR.
Seattle desperately needs more offensive production out of their lineup if they hope to hold off the Houston Astros and win the division. The Mariners' bats have been ice cold this season and the team has dropped 11 of their last 17 games entering play Monday.
France remembers the good times after Mariners place him on waivers
The Mariners dropped the first two games of a three-game series against the Astros in Seattle and the team is now tied with Houston for first place in the division. It’s likely that the only road to a postseason berth for either team is through winning the division.
The club that finishes second in the AL West will probably miss out on the playoffs as the division is the weakest in the American League. Despite being tied for first place, the Mariners are 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot.
With France on outright waivers, any of the other 29 teams can claim him. If he’s claimed, that team would be responsible for the remainder of his $6.78 million 2024 salary. If the 30-year-old veteran clears waivers, the Mariners are responsible for his salary and the team can designate him for assignment to the minors.
However, France has enough service time at the major league level to decline the outright move to the minors. If things play out this way, France would become a free agent, meaning any team can sign him for the prorated league minimum salary while Seattle foots the bill for his contract.
France has struggled this season along with the rest of the Mariners’ offense. He has just eight home runs and 31 RBI while slashing .223/.312/.350 and putting up exactly zero WAR, essentially making him a replacement-level player.
Still, given his experience and past success, it’s likely some team seeking depth at first base will take a flier on France should he wind up becoming a free agent. The Mariners on the other hand are hoping to upgrade their corner infield spots via trade at the deadline. Until then, Mariners’ rookie Tyler Locklear will man first base in France’s absence, per Yahoo Sports Jason Owens.
Follow Us
Subscribe
