Kyle Seager is at a crossroads with the Mariners, and while no expects the team to pick up his contract, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t come back as a free agent at a more manageable cost, but what that would be a good idea?

Reasons why I would bring Seager back:

1. He’s a natural leader for this team, and you can tell by how he was sent off on Sunday that this team loves him. For a young team that’s looking to get back to the playoffs in 2022, you can never have enough of those kinds of players. The M’s will (likely) have Mitch Haniger and J.P. Crawford, but one more wouldn’t be a bad idea.
2. The power numbers were the best of his career. He hit 35 home runs, knocked in 101 with a 2.0 fWAR. Slowing down? It wouldn’t appear so, even at 33.
3. If you can get him to a manageable deal, that gives you a gold glove caliber defender at 3B and with Ty France looking like a capable 1B, you would have three excellent defenders around the infield and would have one less position to fill.

Reasons why I would pass on Seager

1. That batting average. My goodness. I thought things would get better after he stopped messing with his swing when they started shifting him like crazy, but that would be incorrect. He also struck out 161 times, the most ever for him by far. It doesn’t portend to another big offensive season.
2. Maybe 2021 is his peak. While he might not fall off a cliff, it is hard to imagine he would be able to even approach those numbers again. So, if he hits .220 with just 20 HRs and 75 RBI, is that palatable?
3. This is the dumbest reason I have, but they said their goodbye. That lost home game allowed Scott Servais to give Kyle his goodbye moment. Nothing will top that, even if he does come back. It might seem anticlimatic if we do it all over again in 2023, well, unless he walks a World Series win or something.

No one expects Seattle to re-sign Seager, but that doesn’t mean the option shouldn’t be explored.