The Mariners haven’t been shy about expressing their desire to strengthen the infield mix this winter, and while the club showed interest in a second upgrade at some point during the offseason, their focus appears to be primarily on upgrading the corners of the infield. Instead of an infield corner kick. Dylan Moore and Ryan Bliss Can hold down the fort until center field infield prospect Cole Young Already ready for his MLB debut.
First base seems to be a fairly simple hole for the team to fill. They have long been associated with veterans’ reunions Justin Turnerthey helped strengthen their first base set and can be paired with Luke Reilly‘s left-handed bat is in this position. In addition to this possibility, there are some viable options for veterans such as Mark Canha and Anthony Rizzo There are still free agents to choose from, not to mention players like Yandy Diaz, Luis Arraez and Lamont Wade Jr. Who can provide more influence at the expense of trade capital. Even with the emerging talent at first base heading into the new year, the club still has plenty of options to consider as it seeks upgrades for Reilly and young players Taylor Locklear.
Third base, however, is a little more complicated. While there are theoretically at least a few players who could fill the position this winter, Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado Both are well out of the Mariners’ price range. Another potential trade candidate, Eugenio Suarez, doesn’t seem like a good fit either, as the Mariners themselves traded Suarez an offseason ago. Aside from Bregman, there are few options in free agency that offer clear upgrades Josh Rojasthe club used him at third base last year before de-tendering him in November.
In this position, standing still seems not an option: Austin Shenton and Leo Rivas The position is theoretically at least capable, but with 136 total plate appearances at the major league level, at least one veteran will be needed to shoulder the bulk of the reps at the hot corner. With budgets clearly tight and minimal in-house solutions available, who might be the club’s realistic targets this winter?
free agent
- Kim Ha Sung: The 29-year-old Kim is undoubtedly the best free agent infielder available, and given his 106 wRC+ over the past three seasons and his defense in the infield, he could potentially fit into the Mariners’ budget. MLBTR expects Kim to receive a relatively affordable one-year deal worth $12 before the start of the 2025 offseason, but as the market develops, some reports suggest he could be offered a multi-year deal this winter, specifically Depending on how the bid goes, it’s easy to imagine things getting out of Seattle’s comfort zone. Aside from the possibility of King getting a deal that exceeds what Seattle is willing to offer, King has played both shortstop and second base far more times in his career than he has at third base. Since King is likely looking to rebuild his value after shoulder surgery, it wouldn’t be a shock if he preferred to sign somewhere where he could become a regular shortstop. He will be a defensive upgrade Justice Crawfordbut the Mariners have yet to show any inclination to remove him from the position.
- Paul de Jong: DeJong, 31, was a quality anchor at shortstop for the Cardinals early in his career and was even an All-Star in 2019. wRC+ to 2023. 276/.427 (95 wRC+) at shortstop or, more importantly, third base. That respectable season should allow him to easily break the $1.75 guaranteed to join Chicago last winter, but nonetheless, he should still be a completely affordable option for the Mariners this winter. It’s easy to imagine that if DeJong was given the chance to start regularly in Seattle, he would jump at the chance, but it’s reasonable to wonder if the Mariners would be interested in him. After all, they parted ways with Rojas in November despite his below-average offensive production, and DeJong’s 32.4% strikeout rate last year went against the more contact-oriented approach the club has tried to cultivate in recent years.
- Juan Moncada: Moncada would be an interesting candidate for Seattle’s third base job. Moncada was a top prospect who had an up-and-down career with the White Sox before injuries derailed him the past few years. He has only played 104 games over the past two seasons, but his WRC+ results during this time have been quite impressive. It’s not out of the question to imagine him rebounding to something close to the 120 wRC+ he posted in Chicago in 2021, although his improving strikeout numbers throughout his career might give the Mariners some pause (much like DeJong did). That said, Moncada is a better overall offensive prospect than DeJong when healthy, and the infielder should still be very affordable given his limited record in recent years.
- Jose Iglesias: Iglesias is having a career year with the Mets, slashing .337/.381/.448 (137 wRC+) in 291 plate appearances in 85 games. Performance like this should make him a very attractive candidate to be part of almost any club’s bench mix, but the Mariners could differentiate themselves from other potential suitors by offering him a regular role. That being said, there are a lot of potential reasons for concern in Iglesias’ profile. The veteran infielder will play out next season at age 35, and it’s hard to imagine him replicating last year’s incredible .382 BABIP, which made him an above-average hitter. He’s also fairly inexperienced at third base, although he did perform quite well at the position when he was drafted by the Mets last year (+2 outs above average). Iglesias’ contact-oriented approach could be particularly attractive in Seattle, and he could be an attraction for clubs if they’re interested in giving youngsters like Shenton and Rivas a bigger role. choice.
trade candidates
- Alec Bohm: Bohm stands out on this list, in part because clubs have reportedly expressed interest in him this winter. Those negotiations understandably seemed to fizzle out when the Phillies asked for it. Logan Gilbert or George Kirby in return for Boehm’s services, but he remains one of the Mariners’ better fits this winter if Philadelphia decides to lower the asking price as the offseason lengthens. While Boehm’s defense in the hot corner generally leaves a lot to be desired, he slashed a strong .280/.332/.448 (115 wRC+) last year and struck out just 14.2% of the time, making him very Fit clubs will typically avoid high-strikeout hitters when possible. However, it’s hard to imagine a trade going through if Boehm’s asking price remains anywhere near where it was earlier in the offseason.
- willy castro: Castro, 28 years old in April this year, has only started 48 games at third base in his entire career so far, but he is a super utility player with rich experience at shortstop and second base, which Showing he should be able to handle the heat. Since joining the Twins before the 2023 season, Castro has logged 108 consecutive wRC+ seasons while amassing 5.6 fWAR. Minnesota seems unwilling to pay the $6.2MM that MLBTR writer Matt Swartz expects Castro will earn in his final arbitration, but for a possible regular at a position of need With that price tag, the Mariners shouldn’t have any difficulty.
- Brett Batty: Batty, 25, stands out among other potential trade candidates mentioned because he has appeared in just 169 MLB games. Batee was once a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport, but he has struggled up to this point in his major league career, hitting just .229/.306/.327 in 50 games with the Mets last season ( 83wRC+). the appearance of Mark Ventos It seems to have cost Barty his chances of playing at the club in 2025, especially if Pete Alonso Eventually returned to Queens. That could make Batty expendable to the club, and if the Mariners can’t find a more reliable veteran option in free agency or on the trade market, it’s very understandable for the club to turn to rolling the dice on a player with Batty’s offensive potential. and prospect lineage.
