MLB free agency: Which players could be a fit in Mariners’ budget?

Over the past two winters, the Mariners have not been a major player in MLB free agency.

They don’t plan to be this offseason, either.

In November 2021, the Mariners signed left-hander Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115 million deal, the largest contract they’ve given to a free agent in the Jerry Dipoto era.

Last December, the Mariners signed Mitch Garver to a two-year, $24 million deal, the largest contract they’ve given to a free-agent hitter in the Dipoto era.

Going into 2025, Mariners ownership has indicated that player payroll will increase from the year-end figure of roughly $145 million for the 2024 season.

How much payroll will rise remains unclear, but it’s not expected to be a big jump. After budgeting for significant salary bumps of arbitration-eligible players already on the roster, the front office is believed to have roughly $20-25 million left to spend in the free-agent market this winter.

How might the Mariners spend that this offseason?

Here’s a primer on the top names available in free agency, and four players who would fit the Mariners’ needs and their budget:

Best in class

Juan Soto, OF: Last winter, the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes lived up to the billing as one of the most anticipated free-agency dramas in baseball history. A year later, the 26-year-old Soto hits the open market with just as much fascination and an asking price that could exceed the $700 million Ohtani landed from the Dodgers. At that figure, only the game’s giants — the Yankees, the Mets and the Dodgers — will be serious suitors for Soto’s services. Prediction: Mets

Corbin Burnes, SP: A former Cy Young winner, Burnes is the prized pitcher in this free-agent class and Stephen Strasburg’s $245 million contract is probably the starting point in Burnes’ negotiations. Prediction: Dodgers

Alex Bregman, 3B: The Astros will try to keep one of their cornerstone players, but Bregman should generate plenty of interest. Bregman will want to top the six-year, $151 million deal Matt Chapman signed with San Francisco earlier this year. Prediction: Red Sox

Pete Alonso, 1B: Before the Mets’ summer turnaround, and before their run to the NLCS, there was speculation the Mariners would make a run at trading for Alonso to solve their hole at first base. The Mariners still have a hole, and Alonso would still be a good fit, but his asking price almost certainly will be too uncomfortable for the Mariners. Prediction: Mets

Blake Snell, LHP: The Shoreline native opted out of the remaining year (at $30 million) on his contract Friday and will hit the open market for the second year in a row. Snell is coming off a strong season in San Francisco (3.12 ERA, 145 K’s in 104 innings) and could command a three-year deal in the $100-million range. Prediction: Orioles

Best of the rest

Anthony Santander, RF/DH: A 30-year-old switch hitter, Santander picked a perfect time to have a career year, hitting 44 homers and driving in 102 runs for the Orioles this season. He’s another slugger who would match the Mariners’ needs but, yes, his asking price is probably too rich for Seattle’s budget too. Prediction: Yankees

Willy Adames, SS: Adames is also coming off a career year in Milwaukee, and he’ll be able to cash in as the best player available in a thin market for shortstops. Prediction: Dodgers

Teoscar Hernandez, LF: Adding Hernandez on a one-year deal proved to be one of the Dodgers’ deft moves last offseason, and the ex-Mariner slugger came up clutch throughout the Dodgers’ march to the World Series title. The 32-year-old Hernandez will seek a multiyear deal, likely commanding $25 million per season, on the open market this winter. Prediction: Dodgers

Max Fried, LHP: Fried has been a stalwart in Atlanta’s rotation, but the Braves have traditionally been reluctant to pay top dollar for even their own free agents. Could an NL East rival swoop in and swipe him away? Prediction: Mets

Cody Bellinger, CF/1B: Like Snell, Bellinger held out in his first foray into free agency last winter and ultimately didn’t land the megadeal he was seeking. He probably won’t get it this winter either, if he opts out of his deal with the Cubs. He will still be in demand, though, and could be a consolation prize for a team that doesn’t land Soto. Prediction: Yankees

Four names in Mariners’ price range

Christian Walker, 1B: One of the game’s most underrated players, Walker was a key figure in the Diamondbacks’ run to the World Series in 2023. Over the past three seasons, he has 95 homers with an .813 OPS and a 123 OPS+. He hits free agency at age 33 — he’ll turn 34 at the start of the 2025 season — meaning he will probably command just a two- or three-year deal, at upward of $25 million per season. That’s the sort of short-term commitment the Mariners covet, and Walker would fill two needs for the M’s as a middle-of-the-order presence and a Gold Glove first baseman.

Justin Turner, DH/1B: Turner proved to be exactly what the Mariners needed after being acquired at the July trade deadline. Turner, who turns 40 on Nov. 23, played on a one-year, $13 million deal this past season, and the Mariners’ decision to bring him back will almost certainly come down to his asking price.

Ha-Seong Kim, SS/2B/3B: Kim’s start to the 2025 season is expected to be delayed as he recovers from shoulder surgery, an injury that could force him to settle for a short-term deal. When healthy, he’s one of the most sure-handed fielders in baseball, capable of playing shortstop, second or third, and he has the sort of contact and on-base skills the Mariners sorely need in their lineup.

Tanner Scott, RP: You could call this a luxury buy — and you could call it an unlikely move — but signing a reliever like Scott is the kind of move the Mariners SHOULD make to help put them over the top this winter. For all the talk about the lack of offense, the thin bullpen was as much to blame for some of Seattle’s summer struggles. Scott won’t be cheap — he’ll command at least $10 million per season — and it would require a change of strategy for the Mariners, who have been successful at relying on low-budget reclamation projects to fill out their ‘pen. But Scott would take pressure off Andres Muñoz and give the Mariners a legitimate left-handed pitching option to throw at the best left-handed sluggers (Yordan Alvarez and Corey Seager, in particular) the Mariners face in the AL West.