The World Series is here, which means the Hot Stove season is drawing near.<\/p>\n
And with MLB staring down a prolonged labor war starting Dec. 1, this Hot Stove season promises to be a monthlong sprint for trades and free-agent signings before the industry shuts down for the winter.<\/p>\n
The Mariners, coming off a 76-86 finish, will look to make a number of acquisitions to fortify the core of a roster that expects to contend again in 2027. That in mind, here are three moves the Mariners should consider this offseason:<\/p>\n
1. Trade for a star shortstop<\/p>\n
J.P. Crawford had a helluva run as Seattle\u2019s shortstop over the past eight seasons, so much so that there\u2019s a good case to be made that he deserves a seat in the Mariners\u2019 Hall of Fame someday.<\/p>\n
Entering free agency this winter, Crawford has expressed interest in a return, but the Mariners have given no indication that that\u2019s part of their roster-building plan this offseason. Even if it was, the club would likely bring him back in a utility infielder role.<\/p>\n
All of which is to say the Mariners are in the market for a new shortstop.<\/p>\n
Colt Emerson, the Mariners\u2019 shortstop for a spell in 2026, could very well end up being the shortstop for 2027 and beyond.<\/p>\n
The Mariners signed Emerson, as a 20-year-old, to a $95 million extension before he even debuted in the big leagues because they believe in him as a core fixture for their future.<\/p>\n
That shouldn\u2019t preclude them from exploring more proven options at shortstop this offseason.<\/p>\n
The Mariners should swing big.<\/p>\n
They should check in with the Cincinnati Reds about Elly De La Cruz. (This one is probably far-fetched; the Reds have given no indication De La Cruz is available, and if he was, every MLB team would covet one of the most gifted players in the sport. For the Mariners, it\u2019s at least worth a call. They have the type of prospects that could make it enticing.)<\/p>\n
They should check in with the Baltimore Orioles about Gunnar Henderson. (This also feels highly unlikely; but the Orioles this summer did trade away another one of their foundational players \u2014 catcher Adley Rutschman \u2014 and maybe they\u2019d consider a blockbuster for Henderson, too?)<\/p>\n
They should check in with the Miami Marlins about Otto Lopez. (Lopez was one of baseball\u2019s most valuable players this season, but would the Mariners want to give up real prospects for a player with such a limited track record?)<\/p>\n
They should check in with the Houston Astros about Jeremy Pe\u00f1a. (Is that a prudent move for either side of the AL West rivalry?)<\/p>\n
Really, they should check in with every conceivable option to upgrade one of the most important positions on the field.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the Mariners would do well to circle back to their own division to find their best fit at shortstop \u2014 and that\u2019s Zach Neto.<\/p>\n
At the August trade deadline, the Mariners did check in with the Los Angeles Angels about Neto\u2019s potential availability, according to industry sources. Talks did not advance past an initial inquiry.<\/p>\n
In an offseason of transition for the Angels, though, it\u2019s a good bet that the Mariners will again ask about the 25-year-old Neto, who would fill Seattle\u2019s every need. He\u2019d represent the right-handed, top-of-the-order replacement for free agent Randy Arozarena and serve as an upgrade offensively and defensively at a premium position.<\/p>\n
Over the past three seasons, Neto has a Baseball Reference WAR of 15.6 that ranks third in MLB, behind Kansas City\u2019s Bobby Witt Jr. (23.5) and Henderson (17.4). He\u2019s also top five at the position in homers (76), doubles (94) and steals (80) since the start of 2024, and he\u2019s under club control for three more seasons.<\/p>\n
Defensive metrics are hot and cold on Neto, but Baseball Reference\u2019s version of defensive WAR ranks him second at shortstop over the past three seasons. It would take a significant haul to pry him away \u2014 and likely one of the Mariners\u2019 starting pitchers \u2014 but he\u2019d be worth it.<\/p>\n
For the Mariners, shoring up the defense on the left side of the infield ought to be their No. 1 priority this offseason.<\/p>\n
Acquiring a shortstop such as Neto would create a domino effect that would greatly improve the Mariners\u2019 defensive alignment.<\/p>\n
It would allow Emerson to slide over and settle in at third base. It would also take some pressure off a 21-year-old who is coming off wrist surgery. The Mariners shouldn\u2019t outright hand Emerson a starting job going into spring training; he should have to earn it.<\/p>\n
Shifting Emerson to third base would also nudge Brendan Donovan into a super utility role that best serves his defensive strengths. Donovan has never been a regular third baseman; he\u2019s best suited at second base or left field, and Arozarena\u2019s expected departure does open a job-share opportunity for Donovan and rookie Michael Arroyo in a left field\/designated hitter role.<\/p>\n
The Angels, it should be noted, are one of the three teams with whom Jerry Dipoto has not consummated a trade in his 11 years in charge of Mariners baseball operations. (The Tigers and Rockies are the other two.)<\/p>\n
The Angels, though, are in the midst of an ownership change, with the $4 billion sale from Arte Moreno to Stan Kroenke expected to become official in the next few months. The longstanding rift between Dipoto and Moreno has been well documented, and perhaps the new regime would be more open to trade discussions with the Mariners.<\/p>\n
2. Sign some proven relievers<\/p>\n
The Mariners had been as good as any team in MLB over the previous handful of years in unearthing hidden gems for their bullpen.<\/p>\n
That well ran dry in 2026.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s time for the Mariners to invest real resources in a bullpen that has been overworked and underpaid.<\/p>\n
This is a weak free-agent class in general \u2014 which, again, is one of the reasons the Mariners will need to find a trade partner to upgrade their lineup \u2014 but it is flush with veteran relievers, and the Mariners have to take advantage of that market.<\/p>\n
Adri\u00e1n Morej\u00f3n, the San Diego Padres\u2019 dynamic left-hander, is the best reliever on the market. His asking price \u2014 on a potential four-year deal \u2014 will probably exceed the Mariners\u2019 comfort zone. But there are other options.<\/p>\n
David Bednar and Raisel Iglesias have extensive closing experience if the Mariners are inclined to bring someone in to share the job with Andr\u00e9s Mu\u00f1oz.<\/p>\n
Jonathan Lo\u00e1isiga and Bryan Abreu, two other proven right-handers, would add high-leverage experience at a reasonable price point. And with the uncertainty around Matt Brash\u2019s health, the Mariners have to bring in at least two new relievers with a track record.<\/p>\n
3. Sign a veteran utility player<\/p>\n
The Mariners need to create better depth on their bench.<\/p>\n
Because of injuries to Donovan, Crawford and Emerson, the Mariners had to rely on the likes of Leo Rivas, Weston Wilson, Brock Rodden, Patrick Wisdom, Connor Joe, Miles Mastrobuoni and Buddy Kennedy more than they had planned this year.<\/p>\n
Those seven players combined for a .169 batting average, a 33% strikeout rate and a minus-2.0 bWAR across 493 plate appearances.<\/p>\n
As a 25th or 26th player on a roster, any one of those players can provide value in a specific role for an MLB team. In an ideal setup, the Mariners shouldn\u2019t have to rely on them as much as they did this year.<\/p>\n
Which is why they ought to sign a reliable, right-handed utility infielder.<\/p>\n
Mauricio Dub\u00f3n, coming off a career-best season in Atlanta, is No. 1 on that list.<\/p>\n
Edmundo Sosa, who built a strong defensive reputation in Philadelphia, would be a nice fit in Seattle, too.<\/p>\n
Each would also offer short-term insurance for several of the Mariners\u2019 young players \u2014 Emerson most of all. Arroyo and Lazaro Montes both showed flashes in September, but the Mariners need to bring in another veteran voice into a clubhouse that lacked leadership during a dismal season this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The World Series is here, which means the Hot Stove season is drawing near. And with MLB staring…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":894681,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[363,99],"class_list":["post-894680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=894680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894680\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/894681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=894680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=894680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=894680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}