The Mariners Wednesday signed free agent OF Franklin Gutierrez, who appeared in 59 games for the club last season, to a one-year contract. Injured or ill for most of the past three seasons and absent entirely from the 2014 campaign, Gutierrez returned and hit .292 with 27 runs, 11 doubles, 15 home runs and 35 RBIs after joining the Mariners June 24.
Gutierrez ranked fifth on the club with 15 home runs and led the team with 11.4 at-bats per home run.
He began the year with AAA Tacoma, batting .317 with 34 runs, 12 doubles, seven home runs, 31 RBIs, 23 walks and two stolen bases in 48 games.
Gutierrez sat out 2014 as he battled the effects of ankylosing spondylitis (a form of chronic inflammation of the spine and of the sacroiliac joints). Prior to 2015, Gutierrez last appeared in the majors in 2013, playing 41 games and batting .248 with seven doubles and 10 home runs.
He missed 106 games in two DL stints with a strained right hamstring, April 23-June 21 and June 25-Aug. 25. Gutierrez battled several injuries and AS during a three-season span from 2011-2013 that allowed him to appear in 173 of 486 team games, while making six trips to the disabled list.
Gutierrez appeared in 821 major league games with the Indians (2005-2008) and Mariners (2009-2013, 2015). In six seasons with the Mariners he hit .258 with 60 home runs and 229 RBIs.
Gutierrez was the 2010 American League Gold Glove winner for center fielders and set an American League record with 846 consecutive errorless chances from Aug. 21, 2009-Sept. 11, 2012.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2211368 https://sportspressnw.wpengine.com/?p=2211368">5 Comments
Very nice. Baseball is most often much more than a pennant race. We all have our favorite players, the ones we like to follow, and Franklin is one I wish well.
Guti was amazing last year, the kind of player we saw in his Gold Glove season. Thought Dipoto might let him walk since his health can only let him be a PT player Hard to keep your best OF on the bench when you need someone with those skills every day. Hoping the rumors of the M’s trying to swing a deal for the Yankee’s Bret Gardner come true.
It wouldn’t be wise for the M’s to overpay to acquire a 32 year old OF on the decline in a trade. They could be more creative & make a bigger splash my moving Marte to CF & going after Andrelton Simmons in Atlanta. The Braves are listening & he is a phenomenal SS, still in his mid 20’s. Probably wishful thinking though as they don’t seem to have the prospect package. Perhaps Bradley from Boston is an option in CF, with Marte at SS. The M’s should be looking for better upside than Gardner.
both spnw and the seattle times omitted the stats that matter especially in the dipoto era, the full slash line: BA .292/OBP .354/ OPS .977 not to mention his WAR of 2.4.
guti should have a nice strat-o-matic card if he qualified to have one made this year.