Seattle Mariners fans frustrated as team was MLB's most profitable in 2022 with nothing to show for it: "Money over winning is the Mariners way"
The Seattle Mariners were MLB's most profitable team in 2022. They cleared $84 million in annual operations last season. The successful year boosted the Mariners to 13th on Forbes' most valuable MLB teams.
Given their financial success, you would think the Mariners would have no trouble spending that money, but that has not been the case. They still have huge problems finding free agents to come and play for them.
Column: Mariners reported to be No. 1 in MLB operational profit in 2022. In 2023, they failed to fund offensive improvement, as Yanks series showed.
When will it be the right time to fund a complete team? postalley.org/2023/06/02/mar…
Regarding payrolls, Seattle doesn't compare with some of the top teams. The New York Mets have a payroll of $345 million, while Seattle has a $138 million payroll for the 2023 season.
The Mariners have already had their ups and downs this season, which isn't sitting well with fans. After making the postseason for the first time in 20 years last season, fans were ready for this team to take off. Going into the weekend, they sit 6.5 games out of first place in the division.
"Money over winning is the Mariners way" - one fan tweeted.
@Art_Thiel Money over winning is the Mariners way
"This team will never be champions until there's an ownership change" - another fan tweeted.
this team will never be champions until there’s an ownership change twitter.com/art_thiel/stat…
@Art_Thiel As a lifelong Mariners fan you can’t argue this….they operate like they want to be good, not great.
@Art_Thiel Wish they would just sell the team!! I hate everything about this team minus the players!! Ownership is a joke!! Manager makes horrible choices all the time!! Front office signs horrible players and trade for crap players!! We have a few good spots but the rest is ugly!!!
Seattle Mariners fans are frustrated with how their front office operates. Being the most profitable team, they want to see that money used to sign top free agents and make this team even better.
@Art_Thiel It’s a business at the end of the day. And it’s clear that’s how they see it. The team is fielded to maximize profit while keeping us interested enough to buy tix, Kerch, etc.
@Art_Thiel $80 million profit - to their credit too - right ship
@Art_Thiel Going into the season with the offense we had was negligent IMO. Imagine if Kelenic didn't break through. I hope they don't continue to waste the young cheap pitching and the talented nucleus of this team by hoping for the best
@Art_Thiel With obscene, double digit franchise value growth, the team should never budget for profit. Every penny over break-even should go to improving the team and the fan experience. Please sell the team to owners who can afford to “only” get rich on the franchise.
@Art_Thiel As long as fans continue to show up and buy merchandise, the pressure to win is next to nothing. The Seattle Mariners have been doing this for decades. Sign a couple of flashy contracts and act like they want to win. They broke their playoff drought, so all the pressure is off
Fans want to see Seattle shift their focus to being a winning team over a profitable one. They're the only team in the league that has yet to appear in a World Series.
Seattle Mariners have a tough June ahead of them
The month of June could be a make-or-break month for the Seattle Mariners. They have a tough stretch of games for nearly the whole month.
They start with a series against the division-leading Texas Rangers. After that, they take on the San Diego Padres in a two-game series. While San Diego hasn't been up to snuff this season, you still can't sleep on their talented roster.
Then, Seattle will shift their focus to another divisional foe, the Los Angeles Angels. Two good series against the Rangers and the Angels could flip the division around.
Seattle ends their month with a series against the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. This month will be a test for the Mariners, and they must be at the top of their game to make it out of the month with a winning record.