Like 28 other MLB teams, the Mariners are still waiting for the World Series to wrap up before they can fully turn the page to the offseason. And after a frustrating year, the biggest issue sitting on Seattle’s roster is pretty clear: the offense needs help.
Adam Jude of The Seattle Times recently projected that the Mariners could have between $30 to $40 million left in next year’s budget, which doesn’t leave a ton of wiggle room in this market. That kind of money won’t put Seattle in the chase for the headline names like Tarik Skubal or Randy Arozarena, but it could still get them into the right kind of value plays. There are still ways to upgrade without breaking the bank.
One place where the Mariners could use a smarter move is behind the plate. It might sound odd to push a backup catcher to the front of the offseason conversation, but Cal Raleigh’s durability took a hit after a disappointing year that included the first IL stint of his big league career.
That changes the equation. Gary Sánchez fits because he brings more than just catcher insurance.
Over the past three seasons, he has played catcher in 93 games while appearing as a DH in 77 games and as a pinch-hitter in 38. That kind of usage lines up well with a player whose role has drifted toward the bat-first side of the spectrum.
Even in a limited season, Sánchez showed he still has something to offer. He logged only 275 plate appearances for the Brewers but put up his best OPS+ since 2019, finishing at 112.
He also posted one of the highest walk rates in baseball at 16.7%, and he handled left-handed pitching well with an .801 OPS in 123 plate appearances. At 33, and with limited defensive value, he looks like the type of short-term offensive add that makes sense for a team trying to patch holes without overspending.
The bullpen is another spot that needs attention, because reloading relief arms is basically an annual chore across MLB and Seattle is no exception. With last year possibly raising some concern about Andrés Muñoz, bringing in another arm for the back end feels like a practical move.
The Mariners already tried something along those lines by trading prized prospect Harry Ford to the Nationals for Jose A. Ferrer, but that deal didn’t really give either side what it wanted.
That makes another swing at a left-handed reliever worth considering.
Gregory Soto isn’t the flashiest name, but he checks a lot of boxes. He finished with a 3.63 ERA and 16 saves over 67 innings, and his 3.32 FIP suggests there was more going on than the surface numbers alone.
His pitch mix - sinker, slider, sweeper and four-seam fastball - gives hitters a lot of different movement to deal with, and that’s part of what makes him tough to square up. Advanced metrics back that up, too: his 3.39 SIERA was 10th among left-handed relievers with at least 60 innings pitched, and his 3.03 xERA placed him in the 88th percentile.
He doesn’t have the kind of résumé that should force a huge contract, which only makes him more appealing for a Seattle club working within a tighter budget.
Then there’s the more ambitious name in the group: Teruaki Sato. He is already drawing serious buzz and MLB Trade Rumors has him second in its free agent power rankings.
The production explains why. In 2026, he hit .306/.383/.609 over 614 plate appearances for the Hanshin Tigers, and that came in a league that has been in an offensive slump.
NPB has averaged an OPS under .700 for six straight seasons, so those numbers carry real weight.
Sato’s appeal only grows when you look at the thin position-player market around him. There are always questions about how NPB production will translate, but Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami both made the move last year and did just fine.
On paper, Sato’s profile raises a couple of immediate flags for Seattle since he has mostly played third base and bats left-handed. But recent reports suggest he’s headed for the outfield once he comes to the United States, and if he lands in right field, he’d fit neatly into one of the Mariners’ looming lineup openings.
The price could move upward because plenty of teams will be interested, but recent precedent says the market may not get as wild as expected. Okamoto signed with the Blue Jays for $60 million over four years, and Murakami’s deal with the White Sox is worth $34 million over two years.
Sato’s next contract would reasonably seem to fall between those numbers, which would still be within Seattle’s reach. He won’t come easy, but if he’s as advertised, he’s the kind of bat worth pushing for.
In Other News...
Kyle Seager Is Getting A Mariners Tribute Fans Can Rally Behind
Kyle Seager is back in the spotlight in a way Mariners fans can probably get behind. The longtime third baseman has been nominated into the MLB Hall of Pretty Good, a tongue-in-cheek honor reserved for retired or inactive players who never won an MVP or Cy Young and fall short of Baseball Hall of Fame standards. Seager has already come through the fan nomination process, and the final vote for the 100th inductee is set for Wednesday afternoon.
For Seattle, the appeal is less about Cooperstown and more about recognition for one of the franchises steadier stars of the last decade. Seager has long been regarded as one of the best third basemen in team history, and his rsum stacks up well enough to keep his name in that conversation even if the Hall of Fame is not part of it. It is the kind of tribute that fits his career perfectly, a nod that feels both lighthearted and deserved while fans wait to see whether the process sends him in as the latest familiar face to get a small but genuine honor. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Face An Offseason Test They Cant Afford To Fail
The Mariners head into the offseason with a familiar challenge in front of them: the AL West is there to be attacked, but only if Seattle actually takes advantage of the opening. Houston has a general manager vacancy and has already interviewed former Nationals executive Mike Rizzo, a reminder that the division rival is sorting through its own uncertainty while the Mariners still search for meaningful ways to improve. So far, Seattle has not made many productive additions, and the pressure is on to use this winter to strengthen both the roster and the decision-making around it.
That makes the next few moves matter even more, especially with key pieces like Julio Rodrguez, Josh Naylor and Cal Raleigh all carrying their own offseason context into the winter. The Mariners do not just need depth for depths sake, they need strategic upgrades that help them compete across a division race that rarely leaves much margin for error. If they want to keep pace, the front office has to turn opportunity into actual help, and soon. [Read more 🡒]
Former Mariners Infielder Just Delivered Seattles Painful October Reminder
Ben Williamson gave Tampa Bay exactly the kind of postseason moment Seattle knows all too well, coming off the bench and lining a pinch-hit single in the 12th inning of Game 4 to help the Rays beat the Brewers 4-3 and stay alive. For Mariners fans, the name alone was enough to sting a little more than usual, because Williamson once belonged to Seattle before being moved in a three-team trade that reshaped the roster.
The reminder lands in October, where every small swing feels bigger for a franchise still chasing its first World Series appearance. Seattle had hoped the deal would help tilt its own future forward, with Brendan Donovan coming back in the swap, but Williamsons clutch hit instead put a former Mariner in the middle of a survival game while the Mariners remained on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]