If the Mariners are going to solve the left side of their infield without re-signing J.P. Crawford or betting everything on Teruaki Sato, then the trade market starts to look a lot more appealing. One name that keeps coming up is Zack Gelof.
Jason A. Churchill was first to float Gelof as a fit for Seattle, and now Adam Jude of The Seattle Times has added his name to the conversation. Jude laid out eight possible trade targets for Jerry Dipoto as he searches for help on the left side of the infield, and Gelof stands out because he can move around.
That flexibility is the big draw. Gelof, 27, started 66 games at third base for the Athletics this season and posted +9 Defensive Runs Saved there alone.
He also logged starts at second base and in all three outfield spots. Wherever he lined up, he looked athletic and generally comfortable.
That kind of profile is exactly the sort of thing Dipoto tends to notice. While plenty of people are focused on replacing Randy Arozarena’s offense, the Mariners’ front office has to keep one eye on the glove work too. Seattle finished 26th in Defensive Runs Saved and 30th in Outs Above Average this year, so the defensive side of the equation is no small thing.
The problem, of course, is the bat.
Gelof owns a career 101 OPS+, with two good seasons in 2023 and 2026 bookending rough stretches in 2024 and 2025. He put up a 75 OPS+ across those two down years, and the 2025 season was hit hard by injuries.
This year, though, he got back on track with a 116 OPS+ and a career-high 22 home runs. Even that came with some baggage.
In June, Matt Chapman spiked him on the hand, and in July he hurt his knee while making a catch in Detroit. Gelof is suing the Tigers over that second injury, saying the cut from an exposed piece of metal will hurt his earning power in arbitration.
Still, the most important split in Gelof’s season may be the one that jumps off the page:
Home: .904 OPS, 15 HR
Away: .664 OPS, 7 HR
That tells the story. His best offensive season since his rookie year was built on what he did at Sutter Health Park, and nobody should mistake that for a neutral setting. Sacramento has been the most hitter-friendly park in the American League, especially for home runs.
T-Mobile Park is a different animal entirely, and Gelof’s offensive profile doesn’t offer much reassurance that he’d carry that production with him. His strikeout and walk rates were both worse than average this year, and his contact quality was solid more than spectacular. In a lot of ways, he was one of the Athletics’ overachieving bats.
Even so, Seattle should at least make the call. The A’s need starting pitching, and the Mariners have some to deal from. Bryce Miller for Gelof could make sense on paper, with both players carrying three more years of club control and similar risk-reward profiles.
But if the Athletics are looking to get more ambitious with their move to Las Vegas on the horizon in 2028, then the price could climb fast. If they ask for Emerson Hancock, George Kirby or even Bryan Woo, the Mariners would have every reason to decide they can do better.
In Other News...
Cole Youngs Rise Could Complicate One Intriguing Mariners Fit
Cole Youngs rise has given the Mariners another layer to think about as they sort through their offseason infield plans, and it has made one possible addition feel a little more complicated. Seattle has been exploring roster fits with an eye toward flexibility, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. has come up as the kind of player who could move around and change the shape of the lineup. With names like Brendan Donovan and Teruaki Sato also in the mix as part of the broader conversation, the Mariners are clearly weighing how much versatility they want to add and where it would best fit.
Chisholms recent playing history only adds to the intrigue, since his value is tied as much to athleticism and positional options as it is to any one spot on the diamond. Luis Arrez also enters the picture as another reference point in the roster-planning discussion, underscoring how many moving parts Seattle is considering before it makes any kind of move. For now, there is no official action, but the possibility of adding a player with Chisholms profile while Young continues to push his way forward is the kind of decision that could ripple through the rest of the Mariners offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Astros Rivalry Is Suddenly Entering A Very Different Chapter
A familiar division rivalry is about to look a lot different on both sides of the field. Houston has turned to Brad Ausmus as its new manager and brought in Randy Flores as general manager, while still keeping some of its coaching staff in place as the club heads into a season with questions hanging over key pieces of the roster, including Jeremy Pea.
Seattles side of the picture has changed too, with the Mariners hiring Jason Kanzler to lead their dugout. The result is a fresh layer to a rivalry that already carried plenty of edge, and it now comes with new voices, new decision-makers and a few unresolved roster questions that could shape how the next chapter between these clubs unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Could Be Watching Randy Arozarena Price Himself Out Of Seattle
Randy Arozarenas next contract is shaping up to be one of the more interesting free-agent tests on the market, and the Mariners are watching from a distance after he declined their qualifying offer. The outfielder is expected to land a multi-year deal, which puts Seattle in the familiar spot of weighing whether a player it knows well is moving into a price range that no longer fits cleanly into its plans.
Philadelphia has emerged as a team to watch, but the fit is not simple. The Phillies have interest, yet their luxury-tax situation and the age of their roster make another major commitment a tricky proposition, which is part of why Arozarenas market could take some time to settle. For Seattle, the bigger question is whether the bidding climbs into territory that makes a reunion unrealistic even before the winter really gets going. [Read more 🡒]