Now that the World Series is wrapped up, the Mariners’ offseason has officially moved from wait mode to work mode.
Milwaukee’s five-game win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday closed the book on the 2026 season and kicked off the early stages of the 2027 business cycle. For Seattle, that means a short list of roster decisions, a narrow negotiating window and a trade market that’s already open for Jerry Dipoto.
The first item is straightforward: four Mariners are set to leave the organization for free agency. JP Crawford, Randy Arozarena, Taylor Ward and left-handed reliever Hoby Milner will officially hit the market on Thursday.
Seattle then gets a five-day exclusive window to talk only with its own free agents. In practice, the most likely names to matter here are Arozarena and Crawford, though it appears neither side is in a hurry to lock anything in during that stretch. Conversations can still happen, but a deal between the Mariners and either player doesn’t sound close until the rest of the offseason starts to take shape.
After that, free agency opens up in full on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. PT. At that point, Seattle can speak with players from other teams, and Arozarena and Crawford can hear from other clubs as well.
There’s also the looming CBA deadline to keep in mind. The current agreement expires on Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m.
ET, which would effectively shut things down on Dec. 2 at midnight, or 9 p.m. PT.
That leaves the Mariners roughly a month to get business done before the league potentially hits pause again. What teams will do in that window is still unclear, especially with the financial climate hanging over everything.
The last lockout came in 2021 before the 2022 season, and Seattle got one major move done before that stoppage, signing reigning Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to a five-year deal.
And while free agency has its own timeline, the trade market is already live. The day after the World Series, clubs could start making deals, which means Dipoto can begin hunting for ways to shape the Mariners for 2027.
The catch: Seattle probably needs a new manager first.
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McCrays track record, though, suggests a different kind of role than a direct path to regular playing time. He has spent most of his career in the minors and has not yet shown enough with the bat to force his way into an everyday job, which is why the Mariners seem more likely to treat him as depth than as a real Opening Day answer. Even so, his presence adds another layer to an outfield situation that already had enough moving parts. [Read more 🡒]