The Mariners are heading into an offseason that could move fast, and the first order of business is figuring out which names are staying put and which ones are about to test the market.
Once the postseason ends, the real scramble begins. With an expected lockout set to begin at 9 p.m. on Dec. 1 when the league’s collective bargaining agreement expires, teams will be trying to squeeze as much work as they can into the opening month of the offseason. Seattle is no exception.
For the Mariners, the list of players nearing free agency includes four names: Randy Arozarena, J.P. Crawford, Taylor Ward and Hoby Milner.
Arozarena is the headliner. The 31-year-old left fielder is positioned to be one of the most sought-after bats available after a career year in Seattle.
He hit .281/.381/.484 with an .865 OPS, 26 homers, 34 doubles and 26 stolen bases while putting up 5.5 fWAR. Among impending free agents, he owns the highest OPS and stolen-base total, and he ranks second in homers.
Crawford is also on the way out of his current deal for the first time after eight seasons with the Mariners. The 31-year-old shortstop became the franchise leader in games played at the position, though injuries interrupted his 2026 season.
He finished at .221/.335/.352 with a .687 OPS, 14 homers and 12 doubles in 116 games. He also spent some time at third base this year, and in a thin shortstop market, he may be the best available option.
Ward’s year was stranger than most. The 32-year-old outfielder saw his power drop sharply, then showed a stronger on-base profile with Baltimore before struggling badly after arriving in Seattle.
For the season, he posted a .225/.359/.311 line with a .670 OPS, seven homers, 20 doubles and a career-high 99 walks. But in 32 games with the Mariners, he hit just .125 with a .385 OPS and only one extra-base hit.
Milner rounds out the free-agent group. The 35-year-old lefty joined Seattle for the final month of 2026 after being released by the Cubs.
In six appearances with the Mariners, he logged a 4.26 ERA, allowed three runs and struck out seven against one walk over 6 1/3 innings. Across the full season with Seattle and Chicago, he finished with a 3.64 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP and 25 strikeouts to 10 walks in 42 innings over 44 outings.
Seattle also has two notable club options to sort through.
Andrés Muñoz carries a $9 million club option for 2027, and it will very likely be picked up despite a rough season. The 27-year-old right-hander led the majors with 10 blown saves while finishing with a 4.24 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 28 saves and 89 strikeouts to 24 walks in 57 1/3 innings across 61 appearances.
If the Mariners were to pass on the option, he would instantly become one of the biggest relief names on the market. If Seattle exercises it, Muñoz also has a club option for 2028 waiting after next season.
Neither option includes a buyout.
Victor Robles is in a very different spot. The 29-year-old outfielder has a $9 million club option for 2027 with a $500,000 buyout, but it looks unlikely to be exercised after a limited season. In 65 games in 2026, Robles hit .256/.315/.308 with a .623 OPS, three doubles, two triples and 10 stolen bases.
In Other News...
Mariners Must Decide Which Outfielder Is Actually Worth Keeping
Randy Arozarena gave the Mariners exactly the kind of spark they hoped for when they brought him in, turning in a strong season and finishing as the American League leader in runs while also earning the Mariners MVP award from the local Baseball Writers Association of America chapter. For a club that spent much of the year looking for reliable offense, that kind of production matters, and it is why the front office has a clear case to make if it wants to keep him around on a moderate-length deal.
Taylor Ward, meanwhile, did not offer the same kind of return after arriving in Seattle, and his struggles left the Mariners with a much different offseason question. If the goal is to trim dead weight and create room for a better fit, the recommendation is to move on rather than try to force a reunion, especially with Arozarena having already shown he can be a central piece of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Coaching Shakeup Still Leaves One Big Staff Question
The Mariners have already made a notable reset on the staff, parting with manager Dan Wilson and several coaches, but they are not tearing everything down. Pitching coaches Pete Woodworth and Trent Blank are staying put, a nod to a staff that has remained one of the organizations steadier pieces even as the team has worked through injuries and uneven results on the mound.
Jerry Dipoto said the club is taking an exhaustive approach to finding its next manager, and that process is now shaping the rest of the offseason decisions. For now, no additional coaching moves are expected until that hire is made, which leaves the Mariners with one central question still hanging over the shakeup: who will be leading the dugout when the rest of the staff is finally filled in? [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Manager Search Now Comes Down To One Serious Commitment
With Torey Lovullo set to finish the season with his contract running out in Arizona, his name has quickly surfaced in the Mariners managerial search as Seattle weighs a replacement for Dan Wilson. Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall made clear Lovullo is highly regarded and would not be short on options if he does leave, which only adds to the sense that the Mariners are looking at a candidate with both experience and an established track record.
The bigger question is whether Seattle is prepared to make the kind of commitment that comes with a proven manager, both in approach and in salary. Jeff Passan has noted the Mariners could also lean toward first-time managers who better match the culture they want to build, so this search may end up revealing as much about the organizations priorities as it does about the names on the list. [Read more 🡒]