Marcus Semien could haunt Oakland A’s up close and personal

The Oakland A’s decision to let Marcus Semien depart in free agency was one of the biggest mistakes of the offseason. While the A’s financial issues made the prospect of retaining Semien difficult, he clearly wanted to stay while the franchise could not be bothered to make anything that was even close to a realistic offer.

After a dominant season in Toronto, Semien is heading back to free agency. Unlike his previous sojourn, when he was coming off of a disappointing 2020 campaign, he is set to receive plenty of attention this time through. While Semien has a stated preference to return to the west coast or stay in Toronto, he is not coming back to Oakland.

Marcus Semien could continue to haunt Oakland A’s

But that does not mean that the A’s would not see Semien on a frequent basis. The Seattle Mariners are amongst the teams that are expected to strongly pursue Semien as they look to add more pieces to a roster that fell just short of the postseason.

The Mariners have already made some moves in preparation for what could be an active offseason. Shed Long Jr., who was supposed to be the second baseman of the future, is set to be designated for assignment. There is now a clear opening at the keystone, one that Semien could fill.

In many cases, this would be a worst case scenario. It is known that, if the A’s could not spend the money to bring him back last year, they definitely cannot afford him this offseason. But to see Semien in Seattle, where the A’s would face him at least 19 times a year, would be a constant reminder of what they lost.

It would be even worse if Semien was to help lead the Mariners to the postseason. The A’s are at a crossroads and may need to start a rebuilding process in the near future. Watching the Mariners, hypothetically with Semien, becoming a contender would sting a bit more.

The Seattle Mariners are reportedly very interested in Marcus Semien. The decision to let him go could continue to haunt the Oakland A’s.