Top 10 Remaining Free Agent Targets for the Mariners
It's not an easy list to cut through, considering budgets, cost, perceived player preferences, and common sense.
The 2026 Seattle Mariners likely turn over the roster versus what the club opened the season with a year ago. But it also may look substantially different from the year-end version, too.
Free agency isn’t likely to be the biggest factor, especially since the Mariners inked Josh Naylor to a five-year deal last month. But it should be a factor.
Seattle is certain to continue struggling to convince free-agent hitters to sign longer-term deals for anywhere near market value, despite the postseason run and strong window of opportunity to win a World Series.
Another factor to consider: President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto has never spent significant free-agent money on a relief pitcher. In fact, he’s never spent significant money on a reliever, period, free agent or otherwise.
Seattle’s ability to make trades without breaking up their rotation is key — if you trade one, you have to add one of similar quality or take a step back in expectations with a unit that has been the resounding foundation of the roster for five seasons — but there are obstacles to trading prospects: Not every player available can be had for packages of pure prospects. Some of these players are on teams expecting to contend in 2026.
Trades are going to happen, but the Mariners also must max out their chances in free agency, so let’s take a look at the top 10 free agents that fit the Mariners’ needs and figure into their payroll limitations, whatever those truly are at the end of the day.
The below 10 players are ranked based on projected cost and value, considering risk and upside, plus a realistic chance the player might be interested in Seattle, which is essentially a market assessment.
It’s not a flashy list, but that’s what happens when you’re realistic and don’t pretend MLB front offices are playing fantasy baseball.
We’ll talk trade targets in a few days, but the buzz is the Mariners will have another significant addition before I get to that one.