The Mariners’ search for help on the left side of the infield is already taking shape, and it sounds like the front office is willing to keep the door open on both shortstop and third base.
That flexibility starts with Colt Emerson. Jerry Dipoto said the organization values Emerson’s ability to move around the dirt, but the current plan still points to him opening as the shortstop.
“ We really appreciate the fact that Colt is versatile enough to go be our best third baseman on any given day,” president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said. “ Our resting point right now is that we go into the season and Colt is our shortstop, but we don’t want to limit ourselves or limit our targets in an offseason acquisition to just a third baseman.”
Seattle’s infield picture is crowded in some spots and thin in others. J.P.
Crawford handled most of the shortstop work this past season, while Emerson and others filled in behind him. Crawford and Emerson both logged time at third base too, as did trade pickup Brendan Donovan.
But the production at the hot corner was a problem all year, with the Mariners finishing last in OPS there. Crawford is now a free agent, and the club would rather keep Donovan in a multi-position role than lock him into the everyday third-base job.
Dipoto also made it clear that a trade looks like the likeliest path to an upgrade. Defense matters here, especially on the left side, which is part of why Donovan is not viewed as the ideal long-term answer at third. Emerson was neutral at shortstop and a little below average at third.
The names being discussed cover a wide range of difficulty and price. According to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, the Mariners have “ discussed internally or inquired about ” Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez, Orioles infielders Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, Angels shortstop Zach Neto, Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena, Giants utilityman Casey Schmitt, and Athletics infielder Zack Gelof.
Not all of those are realistic. Jude reports that Lopez, Henderson, and De La Cruz are longshots, with their teams already shooting down or downplaying the idea of moving them.
Neto and Pena bring another layer of difficulty because they’re in the AL West. Intradivision trades are tricky, and Jude noted that Astros owner Jim Crane usually makes that kind of deal a nonstarter.
Seattle also wouldn’t love the idea of seeing someone like George Kirby or Emerson Hancock a few times a year. Gelof falls into that same AL West category.
That leaves Westburg and Schmitt as the cleaner fits. Baltimore has the kind of roster congestion that can make a deal possible, especially in the infield and especially at third base.
Westburg hit above average in both 2024 and 2025, but he missed all of 2026 because of oblique and elbow injuries. Even then, he doesn’t exactly solve the defensive issue Dipoto highlighted, since he’s posted -7 DRS at third in his career.
San Francisco makes sense for a different reason. The Giants were hit hard by pitching injuries last season and could use help on the mound.
Seattle was linked to Schmitt over the summer, and he put together a breakout year before a significant knee injury cost him the final two months of the season. He’s expected back for the 2027 campaign.
If the Mariners do end up shopping from their own rotation, Kirby and Hancock have been mentioned as the most likely names to move. But one arm is off limits: Ryan Sloan. Jude reported that the right-hander is viewed as untouchable around the league, and Justin Hollander backed that up this week when he told reporters that he “wouldn’t anticipate Ryan Sloan being traded.”
That stance fits the way Seattle views Sloan internally. He’s one of the most highly regarded pitching prospects in the sport and sits near Kade Anderson at the top of the organization’s asset list.
The 2024 second-round pick turned in a 3.73 ERA in 22 Double-A starts in 2026, striking out 30.9% of hitters while walking just 3.9%. He looks close to the majors, and could be ready to join Anderson as soon as next season.
The Mariners know what it would take to land a player like Henderson or Lopez, and they also know the cost would be steep. Hollander made the club’s thinking plain.
“ It’s really hard to develop high-end, young major-league starting pitching, and with Kade and Sloan, we feel like we have that - and you can never have too much of it,” Hollander said. “ And the moment you get rid of it, it’s very scary.”
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Mariners Linked To A Former Top Pick Fans Have Seen Before
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For Seattle, the appeal is obvious enough. Crews still carries the pedigree of a top prospect, but his major league track record has not matched the billing, with his plate discipline slipping and his offense lagging behind expectations. It is the kind of profile that can look familiar in a hurry to Mariners fans, and the comparison to Jarred Kelenic is a reminder that chasing a once-promising bat can come with plenty of risk if the breakout never arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Offseason Push Just Put Ryan Sloan At The Center Of It
Ryan Sloan has quickly moved from promising arm to protected asset in Seattles offseason planning. The Mariners have made it clear they view the young pitcher as off-limits in trade talks, and general manager Justin Hollander said he does not expect Sloan to be dealt as the club maps out a bigger role for him heading into next season.
Seattles interest in adding an infielder has pushed the conversation in a different direction, with other pitchers such as George Kirby or Emerson Hancock mentioned as possible trade chips. But Sloans place in the organization appears to be rising, with the Mariners planning to increase his workload and potentially give him a shot to start in the majors next year, a sign they see him as part of the solution rather than currency. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Push Hard To Land A Key Answer In The Outfield
The Mariners are moving quickly on one of the more intriguing names in the outfield market, with reports linking them to free agent Seiya Suzuki and suggesting they want an in-person meeting before the MLB lockout begins. Suzuki, who spent time with the Cubs and was a two-time NPB Central League batting champion, has emerged as a top target as Seattle looks for a meaningful answer in the outfield.
There is a real clock on this pursuit, too, with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire on Dec. 1. That gives the Mariners a narrow window to make their case and potentially line up a deal before the offseason goes dark, which only adds to the urgency around a player who could change the look of their lineup. [Read more 🡒]