With the offseason now in full swing, the Mariners have a long list of decisions waiting for them - and one of the biggest is how they handle their arbitration-eligible players.
Seattle comes out of a disappointing 76-86 season with 15 players eligible for arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors. Only the Tampa Bay Rays (17), Boston Red Sox (17) and Milwaukee Brewers (16) have more.
Not everyone on that list is a lock to stay, either. Some could be non-tendered, then return on free-agent deals - either major league or minor league contracts.
The biggest number attached to any Mariner belongs to Logan Gilbert. MLB Trade Rumors projects the right-hander at $15.4 million, the highest figure for any arbitration-eligible player in baseball. That would be about a $4.5 million jump from his 2025 salary and puts him just ahead of Houston third baseman Isaac Paredes, who is projected at $15 million.
Gilbert’s number also underscores a broader trend for Seattle: the cost of its homegrown rotation is climbing. The quartet of Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller is projected to cost $34.3 million next season, assuming the Mariners decline Miller’s 2027 club option. Emerson Hancock and Kade Anderson are also set to make the league minimum, which was $780,000 this past season but could rise if a new collective bargaining agreement is reached this offseason.
The projections also create a few real non-tender questions. Gabe Speier and Luke Raley stand out.
Speier is projected at $3.3 million, a figure that could feel steep for a reliever who has dealt with shoulder issues in two of the last three seasons and hasn’t been someone the Mariners have seemed comfortable using on back-to-back days very often. At the same time, Seattle’s bullpen became a clear problem after injuries to Matt Brash and Cooper Criswell, so cutting loose a pitcher with a history of success may not be the cleanest answer.
Raley brings a different kind of dilemma. His 2026 season was derailed by a torn flexor tendon in his left arm, and health has been a recurring issue over the last two years.
When he’s available, he has given the Mariners a useful platoon bat and even the ability to carry the offense when he gets rolling. But Seattle also has a roster balance issue, with too many left-handed bats and not enough quality right-handed hitters, which could push the club to spend elsewhere.
Beyond the obvious tough calls, there are a few more notable salaries on the list. George Kirby is projected at $9.8 million, Bryan Woo at $5.2 million, Bryce Miller at $3.9 million, and Matt Brash at $1.8 million. Miller also carries a $6.075 million club option for 2027 with a $15,000 buyout.
The rest of the arbitration projections include Brendan Donovan at $6.1 million, Gabe Speier at $3.3 million, Patrick Wisdom at $1.1 million, Luke Raley at $3.1 million, Eduard Bazardo at $1.5 million, Jose A. Ferrer at $1.6 million, Michael Rucker at $800,000, Dominic Canzone at $3 million, Cooper Criswell at $900,000 and Carlos Vargas at $800,000.
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The complication is that Rodrguezs recent trends have made that call harder to project than it once looked. His defense has slipped, his plate discipline has not been as sharp, and his inconsistency has created at least some pause even as the Mariners seem inclined to keep him in place. Add in the way his clubhouse standing and overall importance continue to matter, and this figures to be one of the biggest decisions Seattle faces when that contract choice arrives. [Read more 🡒]