The Mariners are reportedly bringing Ichiro back. And Mariners fans are throwing a hissy fit over it.

Across the blogosphere, comments such as “the Mariners have given up on the season” and “proof that the Mariners only care about making money” are running rampant.

Even one Mariners blog site equated a possible reunion with Ichiro as the “horrific thought of signing a washed up has been” done so as a mere “money grab.”

Wow.

As the Blacked Eyed Peas would ask, where is the (Ichiro) love?

As we here at Mission Mariner would ask, where is the cognizance?

Or, at least, where is the slight semblance of understanding of the current situation, and the type of players Dipoto and the Mariners look to employ in their outfield?

Instead, news of a possible Ichiro signing has unhooded a large contingency of Mariners fans who seemingly have not been paying attention the past two seasons.

Dipoto has been very vocal in his preference for outfielders that are fast; athletic; provide good defense; can play all three outfield positions; have the ability to make contact; can control the zone and draw a walk; and who can drive the ball from gap to gap.

Ichiro, even at age 44, still checks all the boxes.

Yet, fans have taken to bashing a possible Ichiro signing and, instead, glorifying the remaining free agent barflys such as Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera, Carlos Gonzalez, and Jon Jay.

All of whom are younger and offer a bit more offensive power than Ichiro, but fall well short of meeting the above-mentioned skill-sets that the Mariners seek.

Of the available free agent outfielders, Jon Jay probably comes the closest, and he is someone we felt could have been an adequate fit for the Mariners to replace Jarrod Dyson.

Jay is still a decent corner outfielder (1.9 UZR in 2017) who produced a .296 average and got on base at a .374 clip while playing 141 games for the Cubs last year.

However, coming off that type of a season, Jay is ostensibly looking for at least semi-regular playing time and a contract to match. As such, the Mariners would have to invest more money (and possibly an additional year) into a player that would be needed as a part-time starter for just the first few months of the year.

That could present a problem for the Mariners when Ben Gamel – seen as the future in left field – returns to the lineup in May.  With the Mariners high on Guillermo Heredia as their fourth outfielder, Jay would suddenly become an expensive fifth outfielder who would most likely take issue with his diminished role on the team.

Ichiro primarily saw time as a pinch hitter in 2017. He started only 22 games, and of his 215 total plate appearances, 109 occurred as a pinch hitter where he produced a .270 average and a .324 on-base percentage.

As any player will tell you, coming of the bench cold to pinch hit is one of the toughest jobs in baseball.  And Ichiro did it quite well last year.

The season before, Ichiro started 62 games and hit .302 with a .358 on-base percentage.

Additionally, Ichiro still possesses above average base running where he has combined for a 1.4 BsR the past two seasons. His contact rate remains solid, averaging an 85% over that same time. Moreover, Ichiro would provide strong defense in left field, as evidenced by his 21.4 UZR/150 and 12.0 UZR/150 in 2016 and 2017.

Clearly, Ichiro is no longer the player he once was when he first came to the Mariners. But his production the past two seasons indicates that he is still someone who can provide the type of production the Mariners value as a semi-regular starter as well as a pinch hitter, the latter of which would become his role once Gamel returns from the disabled list.

More importantly, Ichiro understands who he currently is as a player at this stage of his career, and what is expected from him.

With the Mariners looking for a temporary starter in left field who would then become a pinch hitter, pinch runner, and late game defensive replacement when Gamel returns, Ichiro is the ideal fit.

And once Mariners fans stop judging Ichiro against the player he used to be, and start understanding the areas of value he can still provide, the love will return.