The Seattle Mariners next big move of the offseason could take place in the next week.
The MLB winter meetings take place Dec. 7-10 in Orlando, Fla. The Mariners have been linked to several potential free agents and trade targets so far this offseason and there could be movement on that front when MLB general managers and executives link up in Orlando.
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In a recent episode of the “Refuse to Lose” podcast, ESPN insider Buster Olney spoke with Roundtable Sports’ Brady Farkas. Olney provided an update on two second basemen Seattle has been linked to: The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte and free agent Jorge Polanco.
“When teams talked to the Diamondbacks before the trade deadline in July, they were told (Marte) was not available and now the answer is different,” Olney said. “They are willing to listen. So that’s an option. But of course, if you’re the Mariners with their payroll limitations that they have, that’s going to affect some other choices that you make. You talked about having to pay their pitching going forward. Polanco is getting a lot of run in the media right now because he had a terrific 2025. You’re hearing him connected to the Red Sox, to the Yankees. My (assessment) is other organizations, he’s looked at sort of being a fallback. I can’t imagine the Red Sox both signing Alex Bregman and Jorge Polanco. So you wonder if that’s the place they pivot, if they don’t like the Bregman price tag. With the Yankees, they’ve got other young players I think they’re going to rely on. And again, we have these questions on how much all these teams are actually going to spend. It feels like (Polanco) remains the priority for the Mariners as you go forward. And it makes sense given their history with him. It’s just a question of whether or not his price tag, because of the bidding, goes beyond where they’re comfortable.”
Marte, 32-years-old, is under contract through 2030. He was named to third third career All-Star game this past season. He scored 87 runs in 126 games, and hit 28 doubles and 28 home runs with 72 RBIs. He slashed .283/.376/.517 with an .893 OPS.
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Polanco, also 32-years-old, is on the open market after spending the last two seasons with the Mariners. In 2025, he scored 64 times in 138 games, and hit 30 doubles and 26 homers with 78 RBIs. He slashed .265/.326/.495 with an .821 OPS. He has a market value of three-years, $42.762 million ($14.6 AAV) according to Spotrac.
You can listen to the whole conversation between Olney and Farkas on the “Refuse to Lose” podcast here:
ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney on Jorge Polanco’s Market, Cole Young’s Future and the WBC
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