Mariners sign INF Patrick Wisdom to one-year contract

Continuing his War on Thanksgiving, Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners announced yet another signing today:

With Evan White, Kendall Graveman, Nestor Cortes Jr., and now Patrick Wisdom all being added to the 40-man this past week, plus the signing of Carl Edwards Jr. (not official yet, but coming), the roster will be full and the Mariners will have to make a move if they want to select someone in the Rule 5 draft.

Wisdom, 28, was drafted in 2012 as a true third baseman with power potential. He did hit double-digit home runs at each stop in the minors (excepting an injury-addled 2016 season), but his home run totals were fairly modest for a TTO (Three True Outcomes) player who struck out between 25-30% of the time. After a cup of coffee with the big league club in 2018 where he hit four homers in just 58 plate appearances, the Cardinals him dealt to the Rangers for fellow third baseman Drew Robinson. Wisdom took quickly to the rabbit ball in the PCL, crushing 31 homers, but didn’t get much of a look in a midseason call-up with the big league club and wasn’t impressive when he did. The Rangers DFA’d him and outrighted him to Triple-A to end the season, and his time with the Rangers.

In Seattle, Wisdom will reunite with former Cardinals teammate Marco Gonzales. The two are good friends beyond their former St. Louis ties, as the Wisdoms also live in the Seattle area; you might have seen the foursome out at a Seahawks game sometime over the past three seasons, maybe with the Hanigers.

The Mariners have depth at the utility infielder position with Dylan Moore and Tim Lopes, but Wisdom has a different skillset in his power and ability to hold down the hot corner.

Per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Wisdom got an “assist” in Seattle over the past two off-seasons, building on a swing change he began late in the 2016 season. That change led to some eye-popping power numbers from a short, powerful swing Cardinals then-manager Mike Matheny likened to that of Scott Rolen.

Wisdom is a student of the game who has shown he’s not afraid to make adjustments to his swing. In Seattle, not only will he have the support of his good friend Marco Gonzales, but he’ll also have the opportunity to work with fellow Seattle resident Mitch Haniger, who has dedicated extensive time studying swing mechanics. He’ll also provide depth at one of the thinnest positions in the system, making this a smart signing for the Mariners. And for now, at least, Wisdom won’t have to worry about facing Marco in the box again: