After a season like this one, the Seattle Mariners can’t afford to play it cautious. Jerry Dipoto may not be built for a full-scale reset of his own instincts, but if there’s ever a winter to take bigger swings, this is it.
That means the splashy stuff, sure. It also means the smaller bets - the kind of moves that don’t cost a fortune but could still pay off if the upside is real.
That’s where former top prospects come in. The market is full of names with pedigree and baggage, and plenty of them are easy passes.
Royce Lewis doesn’t sound all that tempting. Neither do Jasson Domínguez, Nolan Gorman or Mark Vientos.
If Seattle is going to spend trade capital on one of these guys, there has to be a reason to believe there’s still something worth unlocking.
One name that fits that lane is Brett Baty of the Mets. He’s been in New York for parts of five seasons, and for much of that time he’s lived in trade rumor territory.
The reason he’s still there is simple enough: he hasn’t done much with the bat in the majors. In 440 career games, Baty has an 89 OPS+ and 4.1 rWAR.
His best season came in 2025, when he was worth 3.0 rWAR, and that has slipped to 1.7 this year.
Still, there’s something to work with. Baty has carved out a super-utility role this season, starting games at all four infield positions as of Saturday and adding 27 starts in the corner outfield.
That kind of flexibility matters. So does the fact that he’s a competent third baseman, which ought to make Seattle at least think about whether there’s a fit at a spot where Brendan Donovan looked out of place.
And Baty is finishing strong. Over his last 28 games dating back to August 21, he’s hit to a 1.140 OPS with 18 RBI, and he owns the fourth-highest xwOBA in that stretch.
Maybe it’s just a hot streak. But if the Mets are willing to move him at a bargain price, the Mariners should be willing to see if there’s more there.
Anthony Volpe is a tougher ask, but not an impossible one. The Yankees have reasons to keep believing there’s a path back for him.
With Jazz Chisholm Jr. headed for free agency, Volpe could become a 2027 answer at second base. He’s also getting a look at third base now, which gives New York another way to picture him fitting in.
Even so, the numbers are hard to ignore. Volpe has more than 2,000 major league plate appearances and only an 83 OPS+. At some point, the Yankees have to decide whether he’s simply what the stat line says he is - and whether that is, in fact, not the second coming of Derek Jeter.
For Seattle, the appeal starts with the glove. Volpe has been a strong defender at shortstop, with a +26 DRS and +14 OAA over more than 4,500 innings.
The Mariners need better defense and could be looking for a shortstop, which makes the fit pretty easy to see. Offensively, he’s shown 20-20 ability despite living in the high-.200s OBP range.
That’s not someone you build around, but it is someone you can live with in the No. 9 spot if the defense holds up.
Then there’s Sal Frelick, who may be the cleanest match of the bunch. Milwaukee’s offense has a very specific identity, and Frelick fits it. He doesn’t swing and miss much at all - his whiff rate this year sits in the 99th percentile - and he brings the kind of productive-out approach the Mariners have too often lacked.
The bat isn’t loud, but it works in a role. Frelick has a 91 OPS+ for his career, and he’s a useful defender too.
He’s played all three outfield spots, and in more than 3,500 innings on the grass he’s piled up a +26 DRS and a +19 OAA. At minimum, he could be an upgrade over Victor Robles as a fourth option off the bench.
There’s also a financial angle that makes Frelick even more interesting. He’s headed toward his first year of arbitration eligibility, and he sits in that tricky middle ground: too good to non-tender, but maybe not quite valuable enough for a budget-conscious Brewers club to hold through 2027. That’s the kind of profile that can make a trade possible if Seattle wants to strike.
In Other News...
Mariners Fans Have Every Right To Question How Dan Wilson's Exit Unfolded
The Mariners wrapped up their regular season and then immediately shifted into a quieter, more awkward kind of news cycle, with Dan Wilson announced as no longer the clubs manager after the finale. Wilson still went on the record after the game, reading a prepared statement about his departure, which gave the moment a formal edge even as it left plenty of room for questions about how the breakup was being presented.
Inside the organization, there is at least some indication that Wilson had a hand in the way the news was handled, and preferred to address the players and the media himself. Even so, the timing and the staging of the announcement have made the exit feel unfinished from the outside, the kind of ending that naturally prompts fans to wonder who decided what, and why it came together this way. [Read more 🡒]
Former Mariners Bat Just Gave Seattle Fans An Unexpected October Reason
Rowdy Tellez showing up on the Braves Wild Card Series roster gave Seattle fans a familiar name to track in October, even if he arrived there through an unexpected route. The former Mariners first baseman spent part of his career building a reputation as a left-handed power bat, especially against right-handed pitching, and his path through Seattle and Milwaukee has made him one of those players who tends to linger in a fan bases memory long after he moves on.
What makes his inclusion notable is the timing. Tellez had limited regular-season action for Atlanta, which makes his place on a playoff roster more intriguing as the Braves prepare for their series against the Phillies. For Mariners fans, it is one more reminder that October has a way of resurfacing old faces in new settings, and Tellezs role is the kind of detail that can end up mattering once the bracket pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Dipoto Signals A Mariners Reset Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Mariners disappointing 76-86 finish has already forced an uncomfortable reckoning, and Jerry Dipoto did not try to soften it when he met with reporters. He acknowledged failures across the board, pointing to problems with offense, pitching and defense while taking responsibility for how the season unraveled. For a club that expected more, the message was less about explaining away the collapse and more about facing it head-on.
Dipoto also signaled something fans have been waiting to hear: Seattle plans to look outside the organization for its next manager, a move that points to a broader reset. The push now is not just for a new voice in the dugout, but for accountability and a cultural shift throughout the team. What comes next will say plenty about how serious the Mariners are about changing the course they just spent a full season following. [Read more 🡒]