The Seattle Mariners have been circling some of the bigger names on the free agent market this offseason, but on Thursday, they made a quieter move that could turn out to be sneaky valuable. The club has reportedly agreed to a deal with outfielder Brennen Davis - a name that might not pop off the page right now, but once did.
Davis, once viewed as one of the most promising young players in baseball, is looking for a fresh start. From 2020 through 2023, he was a fixture on Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list, peaking at No. 16 overall heading into the 2022 season.
That kind of ranking doesn’t happen by accident - Davis had the tools, the pedigree, and the projection that front offices dream about. Drafted in the second round by the Cubs back in 2018 out of an Arizona high school, Davis was supposed to be a cornerstone piece in Chicago’s next wave of talent.
But baseball doesn’t always follow the script.
Despite spending seven years in the Cubs’ system, Davis never got the call to the big leagues. Injuries played a major role in that.
When he was on the field, the flashes were there - but staying on the field was the challenge. After parting ways with the Cubs, Davis landed with the Yankees’ organization in 2025 and made the most of his time at Triple-A.
In just 36 games, he launched 12 home runs and posted a .900 OPS - the kind of production that reminds you why he was so highly regarded in the first place.
Now, it’s Seattle’s turn to see if they can unlock the version of Davis that scouts once raved about. The Mariners don’t need him to be a savior - but if he can stay healthy and continue to tap into that power-speed combo, this could be a low-risk move that pays off in a big way.
There’s no guarantee, of course. Davis still has to prove he can stay on the field and translate those tools into consistent production. But for a team that’s shown a knack for developing young talent and finding value on the margins, this is the kind of upside swing that makes sense.
Sometimes, the most impactful moves aren’t the ones that make headlines in December - they’re the ones that quietly set the stage for a breakout come April. If Brennen Davis can finally put it all together, the Mariners might have just found themselves a hidden gem.