News Mariners Team Notes

Giants Could Make Bryce Eldridge Available In Trade Talks

10:33PM: The Mariners and Red Sox are two teams known to have interest in Eldridge, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. It isn’t known if Seattle’s interest has continued now that Josh Naylor has re-signed and locked up the first base position for the next five years, though the M’s could conceivably use Naylor and Eldridge in the same first base/DH mixture that the Giants currently have planned for Devers and Eldridge.

1:59PM: Top prospect Bryce Eldridge made his big league debut with the Giants in 2025, and while that cup of coffee in the majors last just ten games with lackluster results he still figures to be a major part of the San Francisco offense next with with the roster as presently constructed. Even with Eldridge’s on-paper importance to the future of the lineup, however, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier today that Eldridge “isn’t off the table” in trade talks as the front office heads into this year’s Winter Meetings.

That, of course, doesn’t necessarily make a trade of Eldridge particularly likely. It’s somewhat rare for players and prospects to be completely unavailable in trade talks as the majority of modern front offices have developed a willingness to listen on virtually any player. With that being said, it’s not often that a prospect with Eldridge’s pedigree winds up moving. The 21-year-old was San Francisco’s first-round pick in the 2023 draft and is a consensus top-20 prospect in the entire sport at this point. The slugger crushed 25 homers in just 102 games between Double- and Triple-A this year while hitting .260/.333/.510 overall across both levels. Few up-and-coming youngsters possess the raw power potential of Eldridge, who is listed at 6’7” and 240 pounds.

Virtually any team would be naturally intrigued at the idea of adding him to the middle of their lineup, and that should include the Giants. With that being said, Eldridge isn’t without his flaws. He struck out at a 30.8% clip at the Triple-A level this past year, raising concerns about his ability to make consistent contact against MLB-caliber pitching. Even aside from those concerns, however, it’s worth remember that the Giants’ midsummer trade for Rafael Devers gave them their first baseman of the future for the better part of the next decade. It would certainly be possible for the Giants to squeeze Eldridge into their lineup, doing so would substantially limit the club’s flexibility by locking down both first base and DH long-term.

The combination of Eldridge’s imperfect fit with the Giants’ roster after they brought in Devers as well as the team’s noted desire to avoid longer-term contracts this winter when looking to upgrade their pitching staff have made Eldridge a logical trade candidate. Even so, the argument for simply keeping an extremely gifted slugger whose service time clock has barely been started is certainly a strong one. 51% of respondents to a poll of MLBTR readers earlier this week believed that the Giants should hold onto Eldridge, and just 23% of respondents believed that the Giants should consider trading him without bringing in another impactful bat to make up for his absence from the 2026 lineup.

Of course, an acknowledgment that trading Eldridge isn’t entirely off the table remains far from the same as actively shopping him. It’s entirely possible that the Giants would only consider including Eldridge in a deal for a high-end player like Hunter Greene or Tarik Skubal who may not be entirely available in trade talks themselves. Rubin noted that while players of that caliber have been floated as potentially available, the specifics of this winter’s market are not yet set in stone. That too goes for the Giants’ level of involvement, per Rubin, which would lend credence to the idea that the Giants might only consider dealing Eldridge for certain impact players.

With that said, there’s a number of enticing trade candidates that have been bandied about this winter, even with players like Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez likely to be off the market. Edward Cabrera, MacKenzie Gore, Freddy Peralta, Kodai Senga, and Mitch Keller are all on the list of names that could at least theoretically be had on the trade market this winter. While the Giants surely wouldn’t be interested in parting ways with Eldridge for many of those players it’s far from impossible to see a team with a controllable, cost-controlled starter like Cabrera or Gore being able to convince the Giants to part with Eldridge in order to add another high-end arm to a rotation that already includes Logan Webb and Robbie Ray but is in major need of reinforcements.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...-bryce-eldridge-available-in-trade-talks.html
 
Mariners, Pirates Linked To Ketel Marte

The list of teams connected to Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte continues to grow. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Mariners and Pirates are among the teams interested in dealing for the three-time All-Star.

Heyman also linked the Red Sox, Rays, and Tigers to Marte, echoing this morning’s report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Those squads join the Phillies and Blue Jays, who reportedly inquired about Marte last month. John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports noted in mid-November that at least seven teams had checked in on Marte’s availability, though he didn’t mention any by name. It’s unclear if this group comprises the seven teams Gambadoro was referencing, but we’ve now reached that number across the various reports.

With Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez heading into free agency, Seattle has some vacancies to fill in the infield. A reunion with either player is an option, and there are also a handful of internal candidates to fill those spots, though a deal for Marte would be a desirable route. The 32-year-old has been one of the most productive players at his position over the past decade. Marte finished fourth in NL MVP voting in 2019 and came in third in 2024. He’s won the Silver Slugger award in back-to-back seasons.

Marte slashed .283/.376/.517 this past season. He topped 25 home runs for the third straight year. Various injuries and absences led to Marte playing just 126 games, but he exceeded 550 plate appearances for the fourth consecutive year. Outside of recurring hamstring problems in 2021, Marte has been remarkably durable during his nine seasons in Arizona.

It would be quite the full-circle moment if Seattle were able to acquire Marte. The club signed him as an international free agent in 2011. He debuted with the Mariners in 2015, posting a 112 wRC+ over 57 games. He struggled in a bigger role the following season, while also missing time with a thumb sprain and mononucleosis. Seattle shipped Marte and Taijuan Walker to Arizona following the 2016 season in a blockbuster deal that brought back Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, and Zac Curtis. Segura and Haniger had productive tenures with the Mariners, but didn’t reach anywhere near the heights that Marte has in Arizona.

Seattle already used one of their primary trade chips this offseason, sending Harry Ford to Washington for Jose A. Ferrer, but the organization has plenty more exciting prospects to include in a potential Marte deal. MLB.com ranked the Mariners’ farm system behind only the Twins and Dodgers in its 2025 midseason update.

Pittsburgh has also executed a notable trade this offseason, acquiring Jhostynxon Garcia and a pitching prospect for Johan Oviedo and a couple of minor leaguers. Garcia will join the outfield mix alongside fixtures Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, but the club could still use some additions in the infield.

The Pirates shuffled through a litany of players at second base this past season, with Nick Gonzales (359 plate appearances) and Adam Frazier (189 plate appearances) earning the most reps at the position. Frazier was shipped to Kansas City at the trade deadline, and Gonzales could slot in at shortstop next season. That leaves Nick Yorke and Tsung-Che Cheng as the current top candidates to handle the keystone in 2026. Recent waiver claim Marco Luciano could also factor into the infield calculus, though he strictly played outfield and DH last season.

Pittsburgh ranked 23rd in OPS at second base last year. The club didn’t have much success at the other positions either, finishing dead last in scoring. The Pirates have been bottom 10 in runs for seven straight seasons. They’ve been the lowest-scoring team three times in that span. Moving Oviedo for Garcia is a step toward addressing that weakness, but a Marte deal would obviously provide a massive jolt to the offense. Pittsburgh slotted in at ninth in the aforementioned farm system rankings on MLB.com. It would likely take significant prospect capital to pry Marte away from Arizona.

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/mariners-pirates-linked-to-ketel-marte.html
 
Jorge Polanco Reportedly Seeking Three-Plus Year Deal

The Mariners struck gold with last winter’s re-signing of Jorge Polanco on a $6MM free agent deal. They attributed his down 2024 season to a knee injury that had required postseason meniscus surgery. The switch-hitting infielder rewarded their faith by connecting on 26 home runs with a .265/.326/.495 slash across 524 plate appearances.

Polanco has certainly put himself in position for a more lucrative trip this time around. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that his representatives at Octagon are pursing a three- or four-year deal that pays upwards of $12MM. That’s roughly in line with the three-year, $42MM prediction which MLBTR put in ranking Polanco the #23 free agent of the offseason. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers writes that he could sign during the Winter Meetings.

It remains to be seen whether any team will meet that ask. The Mariners have spoken openly about their desire to bring Polanco back. Divish writes that a three-year guarantee may be beyond the team’s comfort zone, however. According to Divish, the club would rather limit the commitment to two years — potentially with a mutual or vesting option for 2028.

A straightforward mutual option wouldn’t move the needle much from Polanco’s perspective. Mutual options are essentially never exercised, as their purpose is to allow the team to delay the payment of a portion of the contract. (Rather than evenly distributing the money over the course of a season as salary, the option buyout is paid as a lump sum after the end of the World Series.) A vesting option comes with more upside than a mutual option would, but it requires him to stay healthy and hit certain playing time benchmarks. That’s no small caveat, especially for a player with Polanco’s injury history. His camp would obviously prefer to get the extra year fully guaranteed.

There are reasons for the M’s to be wary of a three-year commitment. Polanco turns 33 next July. The knee issues limited him to primary designated hitter work for the majority of the season. The M’s used him more frequently at second base in September and headed into the postseason. He only started 39 regular season games on defense, though, and the positional questions won’t go away as he gets into his mid-30s.

“I can’t tell you whether or not we will wind up being the team that reels him in,” president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said of Polanco’s market (via Divish). “But we have to spread a wider net than that. With the more likely reality is that you wind up somewhere else, moving in a different direction, because that’s just the odds. But we’ll engage, and we will remain connected to him. He was an important player for us, and I don’t think that has changed.”

Polanco has been mentioned as a possibility for a Pirates team that is willing to be more aggressive in free agency to improve the lineup. There aren’t a ton of free agent alternatives at second base. Ha-Seong Kim could command a similar contract to Polanco and might sign as a shortstop. Luis Rengifo and Willi Castro are reclamation targets. The third base market is a little deeper. Alex Bregman tops the group, while Eugenio Suárez and NPB slugger Kazuma Okamoto are in the middle tiers. Yoán Moncada and Ramón Urías should be available on one-year deals, while KBO infielder Sung-mun Song is available via the posting system.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/jorge-polanco-reportedly-seeking-three-plus-year-deal.html
 
Mariners Not Planning To Trade Luis Castillo

The Mariners were willing to listen to offers for Luis Castillo at this time last year, but the right-hander ultimately remained with Seattle. The club doesn’t intend to shop Castillo during this year’s winter meetings, reports Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.

The 32-year-old Castillo delivered steady results last season, pitching to a 3.54 ERA over 32 starts. He topped 175 innings for the third straight year. Castillo’s strikeout rate fell to a career-low 21.7%, but he countered the downturn with a career-best 6.2% walk rate. The veteran has now improved his walk rate in each of the past four seasons.

Castillo has two years and $45.5MM remaining on the five-year, $108MM deal he signed with Seattle back in 2023. The contract also includes a vesting option for 2028, which is triggered if Castillo reaches 180 innings in 2027. He’ll easily be the Mariners’ highest-paid player next season, though it’s a reasonable commitment for Castillo’s reliable innings.

Seattle acquired Castillo from Cincinnati at the 2022 trade deadline for a package of Noelvi Marte, Edwin Arroyo, Levi Stoudt, and Andrew Moore. Marte hasn’t completely lived up to his lofty prospect pedigree, but he provided meaningful contributions at the big-league level last season. Arroyo is among the club’s top infield prospects and could reach the majors as soon as 2026. Still, the deal has worked out well for the Mariners.

Castillo has been remarkably consistent with Seattle, recording an ERA between 3.34 and 3.64 in his three full campaigns with the team. His approach has changed significantly as a Mariner, with an increased focus on his fastball/slider instead of the changeup. Castillo boasted one of the more effective changeups in the league while in Cincinnati, and he used it as his primary pitch from 2019 to 2021. With Seattle, he’s pushed the offering behind his four-seamer, sinker, and slider in terms of usage. The changeup has easily been Castillo’s least-effective pitch by Run Value since he joined the Mariners. His fastball has emerged as a dominant pitch, notching a Run Value of at least 12 in four straight years.

Seattle’s standout starting rotation struggled with injuries last season. George Kirby and Logan Gilbert both missed extended stretches. Bryan Woo, who had largely been healthy for the first time, went down in September, but made it back for the ALCS. With Bryce Miller expected to avoid elbow surgery, the group should be back to full strength next year.

The Mariners have been on the offensive this offseason, re-signing Josh Naylor and swapping Harry Ford for Jose A. Ferrer. Even with Ferrer joining the squad, Seattle isn’t done making tweaks to the bullpen, per president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. “We will continue to add to our bullpen, in all different ways, like we always have,” Dipoto told reporters, including Jude. Dipoto mentioned that the team has been in touch with multiple veteran relievers and expects a deal to get done.

Led by Andres Munoz, the Mariners’ bullpen ranked eighth in SIERA last season. Ferrer will give the team a hard thrower from the left side, joining Matt Brash as a setup option ahead of Munoz. With Emerson Hancock preparing as a starter, Seattle could target a swingman on the open market. Another lefty alongside Ferrer and Gabe Speier could also make sense.

Photo courtesy of Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/mariners-not-planning-to-trade-luis-castillo.html
 
Giants Have Shown Interest In Brendan Donovan

Brendan Donovan has been one of the top trade targets for clubs seeking offensive help. The Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Guardians and Astros have all been tied to the lefty-hitting utilityman at points this offseason.

Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Giants have been in the mix for Donovan as well. Goold lists San Francisco alongside Seattle and Kansas City among the teams that have kept in touch with the Cardinals as they gauge the market. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox have also talked with the Cards about Donovan, though he’s one of myriad star infielders whom Boston has considered.

The Giants are looking to add at second base. Casey Schmitt is the favorite to start there but probably fits better as a utility player. San Francisco had one of the least productive second base groups in MLB overall. Schmitt was a league average hitter, while Tyler Fitzgerald’s strikeout issues prevented him from building off an impressive 2024 rookie season. Donovan is coming off a .287/.353/.422 season and owns a very similar line in more than 2000 career plate appearances. He’d be a significant upgrade at second base and has the flexibility to help out in the corner outfield.

Kansas City surprisingly tendered a contract to Jonathan India. He’ll probably be back at second base, so Donovan might fit better for them in left field. They could also use India at designated hitter on days when Salvador Perez is behind the plate.

Seattle is hopeful of re-signing free agent second baseman Jorge Polanco. They’re reportedly had a gap on the contract length, and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke yesterday of preparing for the possibility that Polanco signs elsewhere. There’s been some thought that he could sign before the Winter Meetings are out tomorrow.

A Donovan trade, if it happens at all, doesn’t appear to be imminent. Goold writes that president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and his staff are taking their time to evaluate offers. Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of The Seattle Times write similarly that Donovan is not expected to be moved before the end of the week.

Donovan is under club control for another two seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $5.4MM salary. That’ll likely climb into the $8-10MM range in 2027. The Cardinals haven’t firmly committed to trading Donovan, but there’s been no indication that an extension is on the table. They’re entering a rebuild, so it’d be a surprise if he’s not in another uniform by Opening Day. The Cardinals are pursuing controllable starting pitching in their trade conversations.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/giants-have-shown-interest-in-brendan-donovan.html
 
Mariners “Not Active In” Pursuing Third Base Help

After re-signing Josh Naylor, the next step on the Mariners’ to-do list is a reunion with Jorge Polanco, with the intent of utilizing the veteran infielder as a second baseman and part-time DH. Seattle has also been linked to such second base trade targets as Brendan Donovan and old friend Ketel Marte, though the focus on the keystone is noteworthy. When it comes to checking in at the hot corner, the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude hears from sources that “the Mariners…are not active in the third-base market.”

While Eugenio Suarez is another ex-Mariner that remains on the team’s radar, Suarez seems to be the backup plan if Polanco doesn’t re-sign, and Jude writes that the M’s would utilize Suarez just as a part-time third baseman if the slugger ends up back in the Pacific Northwest. That decision seems logical, as Suarez’s public defensive metrics were subpar (-6 Defensive Runs Saved, -3 Outs Above Average) in 2025, as the Mariners have better fielders within the team’s collection of young infield talent.

This internal group is the reason why the M’s seem content to more or less stand pat at third base. Ben Williamson’s bat is a work in progress at best, but Williamson has a solid glove and can at least hold his own as a defender. Top prospect Colt Emerson has only six Triple-A games under his belt, but he’ll be a factor at some point for the Mariners in 2026, potentially as soon as Opening Day. Cole Young is another highly-regarded prospect who mostly played second base in his 2025 rookie season, and would presumably remain in a timeshare with Polanco and play second on the days when Polanco is a designated hitter.

The situation could be altered a bit if the Mariners acquired Donovan, a multi-positional player who could chip in at third base if necessary. But overall, Seattle is confident that its up-and-coming youngsters can help the team in 2026, so even while the M’s are in win-now mode, they aren’t looking to bring in too much veteran depth to block the internal options.

Jude adds the interesting detail that Scott Boras, Alex Bregman’s agent, “initiated discussions with the Mariners to express Bregman’s willingness to consider Seattle as a destination.” This isn’t an uncommon practice in baseball business, as agents routinely seek out any possible suitors that might be a fit for their clients. It doesn’t appear as though the M’s did much or anything to reciprocate this interest, both due to the Mariners’ in-house third basemen and likely Bregman’s expected price tag.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/mariners-not-active-in-pursuing-third-base-help.html
 
Mariners Closing In On Deal With Andrew Knizner

5:05pm: The two sides are closing in on a deal, reports Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, but it’s still not finalized.

4:15pm: The Mariners are in conversations with free agent catcher Andrew Knizner on a deal, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive. If they reach agreement on a big league contract, he’d be in line to back up Cal Raleigh.

Knizner spent the second half of the 2025 season with the Giants. He’d begun the season in Triple-A with the Nationals but was released in the middle of May. He signed a minor league deal with San Francisco and jumped onto the MLB roster a few weeks later. Knizner spent the rest of the season working behind Patrick Bailey. The presence of a two-time Gold Glove winner blocked him from getting much playing time, though he had a brief run as the starting catcher when Bailey missed a week and a half with a neck strain.

The 30-year-old Knizner (31 in February) started 28 of his 32 appearances behind the dish. He stepped to the plate 88 times and hit .221/.299/.299 with one home run. Knizner has played parts of seven MLB seasons between the Cardinals, Rangers and Giants. He owns a .211/.281/.316 batting line in a little under 1000 career plate appearances. The former seventh-round pick has a much better .292/.387/.443 mark across 583 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level.

Knizner has caught more than 2200 major league innings. His early-career defensive grades weren’t great, as public metrics weren’t favorable on his pitch framing. He has rated closer to average in that regard over the past two seasons, though his blocking hasn’t been as strong. His arm strength is middling, and he has thrown out a below-average 16.4% of baserunners in the last four years.

San Francisco opted not to tender Knizner a contract for his final year of arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected him for a modest $1.3MM salary, but the Giants want to leave the door open for rookie Jesus Rodriguez to win the backup job in camp. Seattle doesn’t have a second catcher on their 40-man roster. Mitch Garver hit free agency and they traded rookie Harry Ford for lefty reliever Jose A. Ferrer last week.

Knizner has five-plus years of MLB service and cannot be sent to the minors without his consent. If he signed a big league deal, he’d enter camp as the presumed #2 catcher. The Mariners will probably continue looking for depth options via waivers or minor league free agency to push him for that spot, but it’s not a position to which they need to devote many resources. Raleigh will be in the lineup almost every day at either catcher or designated hitter. He started 119 games and logged 1072 innings behind the plate this past season. Only J.T. Realmuto and William Contreras took a heavier workload.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/mariners-working-on-deal-with-andrew-knizner.html
 
MLBTR Podcast: Winter Meetings Recap

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…


Check out our past episodes!

  • An Agent’s Perspective with B.B. Abbott – Also, Cease, Williams, Helsley, And Gray – listen here
  • Some “Classic Baseball Trades,” Nimmo For Semien, And Ward For Rodriguez – listen here
  • Offseason Preview Megapod: Top 50 Free Agents – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/mlbtr-podcast-winter-meetings-recap-2.html
 
Mariners, Giants “Front-Runners” For Brendan Donovan

The Mariners and Giants have emerged as front-runners in the sweepstakes for super-utility man Brendan Donovan, according to a report from Katie Woo of The Athletic. Woo added that both clubs are also engaged with the Diamondbacks on Ketel Marte.

Both Seattle and San Francisco have previously been reported to have interest in Donovan’s services, which Woo notes the Cardinals are seeking multiple top prospects in exchange for. With that being said, they were often mentioned as just two of many teams interested in the versatile infielder; Donovan’s market has been said to encompass more than half the league, with the Pirates, Royals, Guardians, and Astros standing among the other teams that have been connected to him this winter.

That makes the Mariners’ and Giants’ “front-runner” status a notable shift in the status quo, and Woo goes as far as to mention specific prospect names being discussed with both clubs. In talks with Seattle, Woo reports that the Cardinals have discussed top pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje and outfielder Lazaro Montes. The pair are Seattle’s #7 and #3 prospects, respectively, according to MLB Pipeline. In talks with the Giants, Woo writes that the names of infielder Gavin Kilen and southpaw Carson Whisenhunt have come up. Kilen is San Francisco’s #2 prospect per Pipeline, while Whisenhunt ranks #7.

Cijntje has garnered some buzz around the baseball industry due to his status as a switch pitcher who throws from both the right and left sides. He’s a more well-regarded pitcher from the right-hand side, touching the upper 90s with his right arm but being relegated to the low 90s with his left. In his pro debut in 2025, Cijntje pitched to a 3.99 ERA overall across the High-A and Double-A levels but actually got better after his promotion. In seven starts at Double-A, Cijntje turned in a 2.67 ERA across 33 2/3 innings of work with a 25.5% strikeout rate and an 11.0% walk rate.

Montes entered the 2025 season as a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport but scuffled a bit after being promoted to the Double-A level. He hit a solid but unspectacular .213/.319/.433 in 64 games at the level with a 30.5% strikeout rate. That’s hardly exciting production, but some of those struggles can be forgiven considering he was one of just four hitters under the age of 21 to reach 200 plate appearances in the Texas League last year, joined by Sebastian Walcott, Walker Jenkins, and teammate Michael Arroyo.

Kilen was San Francisco’s first-round pick in the 2025 draft. As a result, he has just ten professional games under his belt where he hit a lackluster .205/.279/.282. With that said, the University of Tennessee product hit an incredible .357/.441/.671 in his final collegiate season and was roundly viewed as a plus contact hitter despite questions about his power potential and ability to handle shortstop at the big league level.

As for Whisenhunt, the 25-year-old already made his big league debut earlier this year with a 5.01 ERA across five starts. While it was hardly an exciting pro debut, Whisenhunt did manage to post a 4.41 ERA in 21 starts in Triple-A’s Pacific Coast League despite the extremely unfriendly environment for pitchers at that level. He profiles as a possible mid-rotation arm with a profile carried by a plus-plus changeup.

Of course, it’s possible that these are only a handful of prospects St. Louis is discussing with the two suitors. It should also be noted that Donovan is far from the only avenue either club is pursuing for their vacancy at second base. The Mariners had been in rather public pursuit of a reunion with Jorge Polanco until he signed with the Mets yesterday, but they’ve still be connected to Marte in addition to Donovan. Woo suggests that Polanco’s departure could leave the Mariners more motivated to make a deal in the coming days, and perhaps that could indicate that Seattle is the more aggressive suitor of the two.

Woo describes the Giants, by contrast, as “exploring all options” as they look to upgrade over Casey Schmitt and Tyler Fitzgerald at second base. In addition to Marte, Brandon Lowe is also known to be available on the trade market while teams have also inquired after Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner. The infield market in free agency is tilted more towards the left side, but Alex Bregman has expressed a willingness to play second base in the past, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim has experience at the position, and Bo Bichette has long been viewed as a potential candidate to move off shortstop at some point. San Francisco hasn’t been directly tied to any of those players, of course, but all stand out as at least plausible acquisitions to be made by a team searching for second base help.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/mariners-giants-front-runners-for-brendan-donovan.html
 
Mariners Sign Brennen Davis To Minor League Deal

The Mariners have signed outfielder Brennen Davis to a minor league deal, as reported by Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The deal includes an invite to MLB Spring Training.

Once a consensus top-20 prospect in baseball, the 26-year-old Davis has yet to make his MLB debut. A second-round pick by the Cubs back in 2018, Davis broke out at the age of 19 in 2019 with a with a .305/.381/.525 slash line in 50 games at the Single-A level. Following the cancelled minor league season in 2020, Davis got the bump to High-A to start the 2021 season but lasted just eight games at the level before being promoted to Double-A. After hitting a solid .252/.367/.474 for the Cubs’ Tennessee affiliate in 76 games, Davis got his second promotion of the year with a late-season cup of coffee at Triple-A, where he impressed with a .268/.397/.536 slash line in 16 games.

All of that was enough to position Davis as one of the game’s most exciting prospects, and he seemed poised to make his MLB debut during the 2022 season as the Cubs began a rebuilding phase following their fire sale the prior year that shipped out core players like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez. Unfortunately for Davis, however, those dreams of an early debut were scuttled when he struggled badly in the early weeks of the season before undergoing back surgery in early May of that year. While he returned before the end of the year from that surgery and posted solid on-base numbers, a lack of power kept him from earning a coveted September call-up.

By 2023, the Cubs were once again trying to make the playoffs and had a mostly full outfield thanks to the offseason addition of Cody Bellinger. That made Davis’s path to the big leagues a bit harder, and he was unable to force the issue due to continued injury woes. Core surgery and a fractured ankle limited him over the next two seasons, and even when he did play the field results at Triple-A were mixed. That led Chicago to non-tender Davis last November, cutting him from the 40-man roster and sending him into free agency.

He found a minor league pact with the Yankees this past year. He didn’t debut with his new organization until late May as he rehabbed the aforementioned fractured ankle, and suffered another injury over the summer that caused him to miss two months. In all, he made it into just 36 games with New York’s Triple-A affiliate, but when he did so he raked with an excellent .271/.324/.576 slash line including 12 home runs in just 142 trips to the plate.

While injuries have led him to stop stealing bases as he had when he was a top prospect vaunted for his speed, the 26-year-old still offers intriguing power and could be an impactful addition to the Mariners organization if he can finally remain healthy for a full season for the first time in half a decade. Seattle’s outfield mix currently features Julio Rodriguez in center, flanked by Randy Arozarena and Victor Robles in the corners. If Davis can prove himself healthy and remain as effective as he’s looking in short bursts the past two years, it wouldn’t be hard to see him pushing for a call-up to the majors at some point this year.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/mariners-sign-brennen-davis-to-minor-league-deal.html
 
Mariners Remain Interested In Re-Signing Eugenio Suarez

Of the Mariners’ three primary position-player free agents, Josh Naylor returned to the team on a five-year, $92.5MM contract, and Jorge Polanco headed to the Mets on a two-year, $40MM deal. This leaves Eugenio Suarez on the open market, and in an interview with MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said there’s “certainly a chance” Suarez could join Naylor for another stint in the Pacific Northwest.

“We love Geno. Geno brings a ton not just on the field, the things that people see…but off the field,” Hollander said. “His steady presence, great makeup, [and] what he brings to a clubhouse every day, it’s really hard to replicate. So we’ve maintained contact with Geno’s reps all winter long.”

Re-signing Naylor was known to be Seattle’s clear priority as the offseason began, with reports indicating that Polanco and Suarez (in that order) were viewed were the next items on the checklist. The fact that Naylor signed in mid-November allowed the M’s some extra flexibility in accessing the rest of the market, and talks with Polanco reportedly saw the Mariners make a two-year offer at least in the range of the Mets’ $40MM figure.

It isn’t known if the Mariners made any kind of concrete offer to Suarez to perhaps see which of Suarez or Polanco accepted first, or if the M’s held off on diving too deeply into talks with Suarez until Polanco’s fate was decided. Even with Polanco now off the market, Seattle has also been linked to such prominent trade targets as Brendan Donovan and Ketel Marte, so it could be that any substantive negotiations with Suarez are being held off until one or both of these infielders are dealt, or if talks with the Cardinals or Diamondbacks fall apart.

If Suarez did return to the Mariners, he would likely be used more as a DH than as a regular third baseman. Depending on the defensive metric of your choice, Suarez has been generally an average to below-average third baseman for several years now, and both Defensive Runs Saved (-6) and Outs Above Average (-3) weren’t impressed by his glovework in 2025. The M’s have enough good internal third base options that the team has been looking mostly at second base help, and Suarez might be pretty much the only free agent third baseman on Seattle’s radar due to his past history with the franchise.

The Cubs and Red Sox have also been linked to Suarez’s market this winter, but again, it isn’t known if either of these teams or any other suitors have put a contract on the table for the 34-year-old slugger. It has been a fairly cool market for a player coming off a 49-homer season, yet Suarez’s age, high strikeout rates, and subpar defense are red flags for any team considering a long-term commitment. It also didn’t help that Suarez’s production dipped heavily after he was dealt from the Diamondbacks to the Mariners at the trade deadline.

MLB Trade Rumors still ranked Suarez 20th on our list of the winter’s top 50 free agents, and projected him to land a three-year, $63MM deal. That contract still seems possible since there’s still plenty of time left in the offseason, and the market undoubtedly has plenty of twists and turns as free agents come off the board and other players change teams on the trade market. While a hometown discount may or may not be feasible, it is fair to guess that Suarez might favor the Mariners over other teams, due to his familiarity with the clubhouse and the likelihood that Seattle will again be postseason contenders in 2026 and beyond.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/mariners-remain-interested-in-re-signing-eugenio-suarez.html
 
Mariners Sign Rob Refsnyder

The Mariners announced the signing of outfielder Rob Refsnyder to a one-year contract. It’s reportedly a $6.25M deal with another $250K available in incentives for the PSI Sports Management client. Seattle’s 40-man roster is now at capacity.

Refsnyder adds a potent right-handed platoon bat to Dan Wilson’s outfield. He has teed off on left-handed pitching as a member of the Red Sox. Refsnyder carries a .312/.407/.516 batting line with 19 home runs, 28 doubles, and one triple across 509 plate appearances with the platoon advantage over the past four seasons. He has a middling .235/.315/.355 slash in 435 trips to the dish against right-handers in that stretch.

It’s a limited profile, but few players are better in that role. Among hitters with 400+ PAs against southpaws going back to 2022, only Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt have a better on-base percentage. Refsnyder is sixth in batting average and 16th in slugging. He’s seventh in OPS — trailing Judge, Yordan Alvarez, Goldschmidt, Yandy Díaz, Jose Altuve and Ketel Marte.

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That production has earned Refsnyder some decent earnings in the back half of his career. He was a journeyman minor league signee when the Sox added him over the 2021-22 offseason. Boston was the sixth team to give him some big league time when they called him up midway through June the following year. Refsnyder hit well enough to earn a little over $5MM on a pair of contracts covering the 2023-25 campaigns. He now secures his most significant payday for his age-35 season. Refsnyder is coming off a .269/.354/.484 showing in 70 games and had been a highly regarded clubhouse presence in Boston.

Refsnyder came up as an infielder in the Yankees system. He has been a full-time outfielder since 2020 and has been exclusively in the corners over the past two seasons. He could probably handle first base if the M’s wanted to give Josh Naylor an occasional breather against a tough left-handed opponent. Most of his work will come in right field and/or at designated hitter. Seattle has Randy Arozarena locked into left field, while righty-swinging Victor Robles should get a decent amount of right field playing time. Lefty hitters Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone could see time out there and are currently lined up for the bulk of the DH at-bats.

The signing pushes Seattle’s projected payroll to $157MM, as calculated by RosterResource. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said at the beginning of the offseason that the M’s were likely to open next season with a payroll close to this year’s season-ending mark around $166MM. The M’s don’t have a ton of glaring needs but could look for a multi-positional infielder who could provide a higher floor than Cole Young, Ryan Bliss, Ben Williamson and potentially top prospect Colt Emerson at second and third base.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported the $6.25MM base and $250K in incentives. Images courtesy of Mark Rebilas, Imagn Images.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/mariners-sign-rob-refsnyder.html
 
Mariners Reluctant To Deal From Major League Roster

The Mariners are still hoping to make at least one more notable splash between now and Opening Day, but Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times suggests that they’re reluctant to deal anyone from their big league roster to make it happen. Divish writes that the M’s are willing to move top pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje in a package for Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan but are less inclined to trade anyone from the big league roster to get him. He adds that president of baseball ops Jerry Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander have both “been adamant” about not wanting to trade an established big league starter as they look to bolster the lineup.

It’s a fairly similar approach to the one taken by Dipoto, Hollander & Co. last offseason. In the winter of 2024-25, the Mariners pursued multiple big-ticket trade items but found many clubs with players available in trade were seeking young big leaguers — not the top prospects that proliferate the top of a stacked Seattle farm system. There are more pure rebuilding clubs this winter, at least on paper, but the Cardinals have prioritized MLB-ready pitching in trades of Sonny Gray (Richard Fitts) and Willson Contreras (Hunter Dobbins). The D-backs reportedly want to add major league pitching (presumably multiple rotation candidates) in any deal for star infielder Ketel Marte.

While Seattle’s system is deep in high-end prospects — the M’s had eight players on Baseball America’s end-of-season top-100 prospect list, though they’ve since traded Harry Ford — the actual depth beyond the big league rotation is relatively thin. Each of Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo and George Kirby started at least 23 games in 2025. All pitched well — Kirby had a couple brutal outings but was largely strong — but only Castillo did so while avoiding an IL stint. Bryce Miller missed more than half the season due to elbow inflammation. The options beyond that pair are less encouraging.

Emerson Hancock is a former No. 6 overall pick but spent the latter part of the season as a reliever. He’ll head into camp as a starter but has been viewed as a more of a fifth starter candidate than one would expect based on that lofty draft billing. He’ll turn 27 in May and has a career 4.81 ERA with a poor 15.6% strikeout rate in 162 MLB innings. Twenty-four-year-old Logan Evans tossed 81 1/3 innings with a 4.32 ERA as a rookie this past season and briefly drew some top-100 fanfare before his own promotion to the majors. Like Hancock, he struggled to miss bats in the big leagues (16.9 K%, 7.8% swinging-strike rate). He also was hit hard in 11 Triple-A starts last year.

Depth options beyond those seven are thin. Jhonathan Diaz and Blas Castano are both on the 40-man roster but are already in their late 20s with no MLB track record of which to speak. The Mariners have plenty of notable pitching prospects, including Cijntje, Ryan Sloan and 2025 No. 3 overall pick Kade Anderson. Cijntje has all of seven Double-A starts under his belt, though, and could require more development time than most prospects given his status as an extremely uncommon switch-pitcher. Sloan hasn’t pitched above A-ball. Anderson didn’t pitch for a Mariners affiliate after last summer’s draft. Former prospects like Taylor Dollard and Michael Morales went unselected in this year’s Rule 5 Draft despite being eligible. The former has battled injury troubles. The latter was hit fairly hard and notched just a 16% strikeout rate in Double-A this season.

The Mariners could certainly deal from their rotation to improve the lineup and backfill with a lower-cost free agent signing, but it’s understandable if the front office is reluctant to at all jeopardize the team’s depth, given the shaky performances of Miller, Hancock and (to a lesser extent) Evans in 2025. If anything, one could argue that it’d be prudent to add to the current group by signing/acquiring some optionable depth or a swingman/sixth starter to plug into a long relief role to begin the year.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...n-donovan-jurrangelo-cijntje-ketel-marte.html
 
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