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The Seattle Mariners are likely not done making significant moves just yet. So far, the reigning American League West winners have not made a ton of fresh signings. Nevertheless, bringing back Josh Naylor and adding Rob Refsnyder have been important deals for the club.

Despite Seattle’s 2025 success, there are some concerns over the team’s infield. This is particularly the case at second and third base. The Mariners have lost a big bat in Eugenio Suarez at the hot corner. A reunion with the slugger is still possible, but Suarez seems less likely to return as the days go by. At the moment, Cole Young, Ben Williamson, and Colt Emerson are fighting it out for the two roles. Emerson is currently the club’s top prospect.

Seattle, however, has been linked with several major trades in recent weeks to help address the situation. This fairly lengthy list includes stars such as Nico Hoerner, Brendan Donovan, and Alec Bohm. None of these potential deals seem imminent at the moment, though. Because of this, the Mariners are being linked with a move in free agency.

Bleacher Report is now predicting that Luis Arraez will be Seattle’s starting second baseman on opening day. The three-time batting champion recently led the league in hits in 2024 and 2025. Arraez also finished inside the top 20 in MVP voting between 2022 and 2024 and has collected two Silver Slugger awards. During his impressive career, the infielder has actually walked more than he has struck out.

Luis Arraez Would be a Solid fit With the Seattle Mariners

GettyLuis Arraez is widely considered one of the top contact hitters in baseball.

Although some of Arraez’s statistics are impressive, he is a fairly divisive player. Many fans appreciate the second baseman’s ability to put the ball in play and avoid strikeouts. Others, however, ridicule his lack of power. In fact, Arraez has just 36 career home runs in over 800 MLB games.

Despite these issues, the veteran still has value in today’s game. And former Mariners second baseman Harold Reynolds would agree. The MLB Network analyst was recently asked if he would rather see Arraez or Paul Goldschmidt join Seattle ahead of the 2026 season. Reynolds did not hesitate to pick the second baseman.

“I’ll take Luis Arraez. I just think he’s going to impact my team (Seattle Mariners) a little bit differently at this point in time,” replied Reynolds. “Goldy put up more numbers than I thought, but 146 games to put up 10 home runs out of Goldschmidt, that’s not what I’m looking for for the team that I would need him to impact.”

Seattle Could use a Quality Contact Hitter Atop Their Potent Lineup

As Reynolds points out, the Mariners do not necessarily need yet another power hitter. Seattle hit the third-most homers (238) in all of baseball in 2025. This is particularly impressive since T-Mobile Park is widely considered a pitcher’s stadium. Although Suarez may not return, the team still has Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, and Naylor.

Arraez could sit atop Seattle’s lineup and potentially turn many solo home runs into two-run dingers. The infielder would also help boost a below-average hitting team. The Mariners finished 2025 with a combined .244 team batting average. This was good enough for 20th in MLB on the year. Arraez hit .292 with the San Diego Padres last year.

Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore

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