Commentary: Time to sell the M’s to a local group more financially committed than the current one

I popped my head into the local Dollar Tree over the weekend, hoping to find anyone from the Mariners ownership group to answer some of my questions. 

I couldn’t find them, so I guess they were at the 99 Cent store instead. 

It’s the only conclusion I can come to, given the most recent news of the team reportedly cutting projected budgets a couple weeks after the season ended. Which forced them to dump $30-40 million in salary obligations for the upcoming season. According to the Seattle Times, the reason for the lower budget is likely due to the uncertainties surrounding its regional sports network, ROOT Sports, with concerns about subscriber retention and decreased viewership. 

The problem is, at this point, those excuses literally run so hollow with this fan base that it sounds as meaningless as "my dog ate my homework." 

If you’re going to unexpectedly dump salary, the least you can do is get rid of the significant price increases you made season ticket holders shoulder this offseason.  

It’s also put the front office and coaching staff in a horribly awkward position. From President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto having to skirt around questions regarding budget concerns, saying they’ll never discuss the budget itself, to manager Scott Servais simply saying they’re doing the best with "the cards we’ve been dealt."

But those cards are an embarrassment - if the first few weeks of free agency combined with the budgetary constraints tell us anything. And it’s another confirmation of a franchise that clearly prioritizes profits over performance.

I won’t be the first person to suggest a change in ownership here, because one look on social media, and it’s been a trend for a while. But this past week, and seeing the Mariners basically stick their heads in the sand without any legitimate effort to reel in a big fish like Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani - and to feel like we’re looking through the bargain barrel or clearance aisle instead? It’s simply unacceptable. 

Seattle is the 13th largest media market in the country, and yet our baseball team makes a lot of fans feel like it’s working on a shoestring budget. The Dodgers, meanwhile, now have a roster filled with five former MVPs, including a blockbuster $700 million contract for Ohtani that even they may never turn a profit on.

But you know what the Dodgers have, what the Yankees have, what all these blue blood teams have that the Mariners don’t? A commitment to winning from ownership – giving themselves the best chance to win by bringing in the best players – regardless of how much it might cost. I’ve said it before: Spending money doesn’t always guarantee success. But it certainly gives you better odds.

It’s depressing that the Mariners are considered one of the most profitable teams in baseball on a yearly basis; yet it feels like they’ve approached free agency this year as if their paychecks might not even clear. This, in a year when Dipoto feels like they’re really close and might be one or two big pieces away. 

It might be a great way to run a business, but it’s certainly not a way to ingratiate itself with a fanbase – especially one that’s been abused with mediocrity for so many years. 

And it is ludicrous to think fans should just sit here and take it and be grateful. They deserve so much better. Julio Rodriguez and this young talented core of players deserve so much better. They deserve the best chance to win, and they’re not getting it – not even sniffing it. Ebenezer Scrooge might as well be running the show. 

"Sell the team?" It just might be time, as long as it’s to a local group that will keep them here – and one that’s actually committed to winning a title. Rather than a group that continues to seemingly pinch pennies because they’re so afraid of dipping into the red.