Seattle Mariners fans react to team signing infielder Tommy La Stella: "This team is depressing" "We sure know how to be thrifty"

The Seattle Mariners signed veteran infielder Tommy La Stella to a one-year contract on Friday. La Stella, a nine-year major leaguer, was released by the San Francisco Giants in December. The move is seen as helping shore up infield depth for the Mariners, as La Stella has played first, second and third base.

The Seattle Mariners have not signed any superstar free agents or made any major trades this offseason, though they have acquired outfielder A.J. Pollock and second baseman Kolten Wong, among other solid pieces. Still, the lack of headline movement has the Mariners' fan base not exactly enthused about the acquisition of Tommy La Stella.

A lifetime .267 hitter, La Stella posted a disappointing .245 batting average during his time with the Giants. He played in just 136 games over two seasons due to injury.

La Stella will never be confused with one of the game's greats. But he comes to the Giants with a reputation as a good defender, a versatile player and a great clubhouse guy. More than a few Seattle Mariners fans are liking the signing.

La Stella has never been known as an "Iron Man." His high-water mark for games in a single season was 123 with the Chicago Cubs in 2018. La Stella has long battled the injury bug. La Stella landed on the 60-day IL just six weeks into the 2021 season, his first with the Giants. He had signed a three-year, $18.75 million contract with the club earlier that offseason.

Seattle Mariners are Tommy La Stella's sixth MLB team

Tommy La Stella of the Chicago Cubs is congratulated in the dugout after scoring a run.

While the Seattle Mariners' signing of Tommy La Stella is obviously not like inking Carlos Correa, he does bring intangibles important to a contending team. He won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016 and has been on the roster of some of the more storied organizations in Major League Baseball.

However, he will be 34 by the time the 2023 season begins. The Mariners are the sixth team of his career, having played for the Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels in addition to the Cubs and Giants.

He has shown flashes of brilliance since making his big-league debut with the Braves in 2014. However, injuries and inconsistency have plagued him for the majority of his career.

He's logged over 100 games in a single season just once. After two rough seasons in San Francisco, La Stella is looking for a rebound year in the Pacific Northwest.