When the Winter Meetings begin next week in Orlando, the Seattle Mariners should be active. They started the offseason in the best possible way by retaining integral piece Josh Naylor, but we all know they still have work to do. A week of gathering together with all 30 front offices, most agents and even some players should be the perfect atmosphere to get stuff done.

As I’ve said (and written) before, the Mariners have a tricky balancing act ahead of them. They have a good team that was eight outs away from advancing to the World Series; they need to be careful in making too many changes. Key contributors like Eugenio Suárez and Jorge Polanco are not currently on the roster and they have opportunities to improve all over the infield, right field and in the bullpen; they need to be better than last year to get farther in what should be an improved American League. And they have good, young players that need opportunities to play with Colt Emerson, Cole Young, Ben Williamson and Harry Ford leading the way. Rolling with all four on the roster would be dangerous, but leaving space for them to grow into key roles is important.

How Seattle Mariners will approach adding their young talent to contending team

It’s a good problem to have but one that will require some offseason roster maneuvering. We know that president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto subscribes to a “draft, develop and trade” philosophy, so the assumption is that they would want to make moves in the trade market to improve the team.

In reading through pieces by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, a group of players has emerged as potential trade candidates this winter. For the sake of this column, I’ll leave out the pitchers and focus on some of the bats that make sense. Here are the four options (seven players) that I think make the most sense.

Ketel Marte 2B/SS/OF

Marte is such a good fit for the Mariners. He is essentially a better version of Jorge Polanco. As a switch-hitter, he could play the same spots as a second basemen and designated hitter that make Polanco a possibility, but he does it with better numbers across the board. While they are the same age, Marte has been much healthier, plays better defense at a greater variety of positions and projects to have an OPS more than 100 points higher (according to Baseball Reference). He’s more expensive, more volatile and would cost a haul of prospects, but he would make this team a major favorite in the AL. If Polanco is holding out for big money and a third year, trading for Marte would be an upgrade.

Jarren Duran OF or Steven Kwan OF

I put these two players together because they both accomplish something similar. Both could hit leadoff. Both play excellent defense in the outfield (valuable at T-Mobile Park). And both are controllable for multiple seasons at a reasonable price. You could immediately put either of them in right field while letting Dominic Canzone DH and improve your roster immensely. Or you could look to trade Randy Arozarena and put one of them in left field.

Both players hit for relatively high averages (Kwan is higher with a career .281 average), both get on base 33-35% of the time. Both are in their late 20s (Kwan is 28 and Duran is 29). Duran strikes out more often but maintains a similar on-base percentage with more power and stolen bases. Kwan is a more known quantity in the clubhouse but doesn’t have the upside of Duran.

Both players interest me, but not to the extent of Marte. That said, the Red Sox might be a good match because of their need for pitching and the arms race in the AL East with New York and now Toronto. Duran would sure fit the style of play Dan Wilson is looking for.

Brandon Lowe 2B, Brendan Donovan 2B or Jake Cronenworth 2B

Yes, this is the second base portion of the list, but Donovan and Cronenworth stand out because they could also play third. At just 28, Donovan is three years younger than the other two. But this is a matter of choosing your favorite flavor.

Lowe hits for power. In his last two fully healthy seasons, he has topped 30 home runs in both. In fact, he averages 34 home runs per 162 games in his career. But that comes with a lower on-base percentage and declining defense.

Cronenworth gets on base, but his power has declined and after two straight All-Star seasons (2021-22), he hasn’t been the same player for the last three years. He is also due to make over $12 million for each of the next five seasons. While the money is reasonable, the commitment to an infielder for that is questionable given the young infielders knocking at the door already.

Donovan would likely cost the most in terms of a trade but would be the best fit. He hits for a high average, has great doubles power, doesn’t strike out much and would be a free agent in 2028.

If Marte doesn’t work out, Donovan would be a wonderful option. He could play second if Polanco goes elsewhere or third if Polanco re-signs. And that flexibility would allow some of the young players to find homes without needing to count on them at any one spot.

Alec Bohm 3B

I’m sorry. I’m just not a Bohm fan. I wasn’t interested last offseason and the numbers have only declined from there. The power has slipped each of the last three years and that’s while playing in a ridiculous lineup in a tremendous hitter’s park. He had just 11 home runs last season while playing iffy defense and is questionable clubhouse fit in Seattle. The one advantage is he could potentially be acquired on the cheap since the numbers are down and he is a free agent at the end of the season. But I don’t think he helps this roster nearly as much as the other six names on the list.

Seattle Mariners offseason coverage

• Seattle Mariners add college coach to major league staff
• Which M’s will play in 2026 World Baseball Classic? Here are the candidates
• How Seattle Mariners will approach adding their young talent to contending team
• Seattle Mariners GM Hollander shares inside story of Naylor trade
• Seattle Mariners’ Bryan Woo awarded hefty pre-arbitration bonus