The Chicago White Sox have officially acquired outfielder Alex Rios from the Toronto Blue Jays off waivers today. You may ask yourself, why does this matter to fans of the Seattle Mariners?
Well, first off it improves the roster of the team you are playing against in the upcoming series, and secondly, this is a player the Mariners could have and should have acquired.
This is increasingly disappointing now that I have found out that the White Sox got Rios without having to give up a single player. NOT ONE.
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I understand his contract is overwhelming at a glance, but this type of move would have shown fans that Jack Z thinks the Mariners have a chance to win this season, something I believe in as well.
After the Red Sox got swept in New York by the Yankees, the Mariners have crept to within 4.5 games of the wild card, making them officially back in the race. Rios would have provided a major upgrade offensively in left field over Ryan Langerhans.
I concede the fact that Langerhans is extremely popular in many fans' minds right now with his walk-off heroics recently, however, Rios is still a better player, especially in the long run.
Rios is a 28-year-old outfielder who is a line-drive hitter, which is perfect for right-handed hitters in Safeco field. If he came to the Mariners he could leave behind the pressure that came from playing for the team that signed him to the large contract.
This deal would not only help the Mariners team on the field, but by showing that management is willing to take on a necessary risk in order to win, more fans would go to the games.
By drawing more fans, the team would then have more money to spend in the off-season on free agents. Also, by taking on this risk it sends a message to potential free agents that they aren’t just a piece in a rebuilding process, but that they would be the piece that could take this team from the middle of the pack and put them into title contention in the AL West.
These types opportunities are hard to find in baseball and the Mariners may have let a big one slip right through their hands.
Reach Sean Delorge at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
