It’s been a quiet offseason so far for the Mariners, who have yet to sign a free agent to a major league deal. They are connected to similar trading candidates Cody Bellinger, Alec Bohmagain Nico Hoernerand they are reportedly listening to the offer Luis Castillobut president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto walked out of the Winter Meetings without issuing any changes.
Still, the Mariners are still looking for ways to improve an offense that finished 21st in runs scored in 2024. Reports surfaced early in the offseason that the club was looking for infield bats. Earlier this week, Dipoto confirmed that first, second, and third base are all areas of need (via Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times). As things stand, shortstop JP Crawford appears to be Seattle’s only pitcher with a guaranteed everyday starting role.
According to Divish, the Mariners aimed to check the first base on their to-do list before the end of the Winter Meetings. They had previously expressed interest in both Carlos Santana again Justin Turnerand they were apparently willing to offer him a one-year contract this week. Needless to say, even the fish were biting, but that doesn’t mean Dipoto has given up. On that note, Divish provided more information about Seattle’s pursuit of Santana and Turner, reporting that the team is looking for an experienced right-handed hitter to split playing time with lefty hitters. Luke Raley. Raley hits well against righties but has struggled badly in limited playing time against the same arm in 2024. Turner has had neutral-league splits throughout his career, and the switch-hitting Santana has done his best work against southpaws. Or they could make Raley’s productive teammate.
That said, one has to wonder if newly minted Gold Glove winner Santana would be willing to accept anything less than a full-time job at first. He is coming off his best season in five years and may not be interested in a role that could involve splitting playing time. Turner, on the other hand, thrived in the first base/DH role for Seattle down through 2024. He also made it clear that he would be happy to return to the M’s. At the end of the regular season, he told MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer in no uncertain terms, “I’d love to come back and be a Mariner.”
And of course, if Satan can be persuaded to sign in Seattle, he could be a huge impact player. Because of his strong defense, Turner has produced over the past two years according to all Wins Above Replacement models. He’s also a year and a half younger than Turner, who turned 40 in November. At that point, Divish suggested the Mariners might lean on Santana in a recent appearance on the “Daily Puck Drop” podcast, saying he believes Santana is “important” to them right now in the starting lineup.
Speaking of righty-batting, veteran first basemen, the Mariners have also expressed interest Christian Walker. Kramer reports that the team has had “discussions” about signing Walker, though he notes that the three-time Glove winner may be out of their price range. Indeed, Divish suggests the Mariners have about $15MM to $17MM left to spend this winter, barring any trades to reduce salary. Given the fact that Walker turned down a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer, he’s certainly looking for a contract worth more than $17MM per year. MLBTR predicted a three-year, $60MM deal for Walker on our Top 50 Free Agents list. While he could be a more valuable addition than Santana or Turner, that value will be reflected in his asking price.
It’s also worth pointing out that a player like Walker certainly won’t split playing time with Raley. He will be the first daily fan wherever he signs. Therefore, if the Mariners were to sign Walker, it would push Raley into the designated hitter role. That would be another reason that the equation doesn’t make sense. Alternatively, perhaps Dipoto could package the talented and cost-controlled Raley with one of his high-priced veterans (such as Mitch Haniger or Mitch Garver) as a way to get another team to pick up one of his coveted contracts. If he were to pull off such a move, perhaps he could free up enough money to sign Walker without going over the budget.
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