11 other free agents Mariners can target next offseason with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. off the market

If we're being honest, the Seattle Mariners likely never had a shot at signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as a free agent. And now, they definitely don't.

Shi Davidi of Sportsnet was first to report late Sunday night that the Toronto Blue Jays are signing Guerrero to a 14-year, $500 million contract extension. The deal locks the slugging first baseman into Toronto through 2039, and takes him off the projected free-agent market for the 2025-26 offseason.

Though the Mariners always were long shots to sign Guerrero, at least fans no longer have to worry about stressing over the possibility. As far as other free agents the Mariners might target to upgrade an offense that continues to be a problem, let's get into 11 options who fit into three different tiers.

Here are aspirational, possible and realistic free-agent targets for the Mariners after Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s extension.

3 Aspirational Targets: RF Kyle Tucker, 3B Alex Bregman, SS Bo Bichette

Assuming Bregman opts out of his three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, these three figure to be the cream of the offensive crop on the post-2025 free-agent market.

True, the Mariners' outfield trio of Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena and Victor Robles is controlled through 2026. Yet you don't let something like that keep you from at least wanting a guy like Tucker. He's a superstar-caliber hitter who's averaged 6.6 rWAR per 162 games since 2021, and he's only 28.

Bregman or Bichette would be a welcome upgrade for a Mariners infield that has fallen into disarray. Bregman is an impact player on both sides of the ball at third base, while Bichette is a .300 hitter with power and speed when he's right.

These are "aspirational" targets, however, because each is likely to command a nine-figure deal on the open market. The Mariners don't have a history of doing such deals in free agency, and they don't have much in the way of payroll relief coming their way after 2025.

4 Possible Targets: 1B Pete Alonso, 1B Josh Naylor, 1B/OF Cody Bellinger, 2B Gleyber Torres

With these guys, on the other hand, it's possible to envision contracts that may be more in the Mariners' comfort zone. We're probably talking multiple years and big bucks, but not necessarily long-term deals with nine-figure guarantees.

The caveat with Alonso and Bellinger is that both would have to opt out of their current deals with the New York Mets and New York Yankees, respectively. That is entirely possible, however, as each is still in his prime and looking to have a bounce-back year in 2025.

Alonso's calling card is obviously his power, as he's hit 229 home runs in 855 career games. Naylor, Bellinger and Torres are more balanced as hitters, offering power but also an ability to control the strike zone to support solid on-base percentages.

Yet even if these are more realistic options for Seattle, one hesitates to call any of the four a slam dunk. Though the Mariners will be free of $29 million in salaries for Mitch Garver and Mitch Haniger (who's already been released) after 2025, a lot of that is going to get eaten up by arbitration raises for Cal Raleigh via his new contract and Arozarena, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and others in arbitration.

4 Realistic Targets: 1B Luis Arraez, 3B Eugenio Suárez, DH Kyle Schwarber, DH Marcell Ozuna

Arraez's name is the one that jumps off the page here, as he's a three-time All-Star and batting champion who, by all rights, should be a hot commodity in free agency this winter.

Don't be so sure, though. While Arraez's hitting acumen has led him to a .322 career average, his shortage of other skills has tended to be a WAR suppressor. To wit, he was worth 1.0 rWAR in 2024 even as he batted .314.

It seems possible that the market will be less than kind to Arraez, which could work to Seattle's advantage. And given the team's issues with strikeouts and getting hits in general, Arraez would arguably have more value to the M's than to any other franchise.

As for old friend Suárez, Schwarber and Ozuna, each is a reliable source of power who has the misfortune of being in his mid-30s. Their earning power figures to be limited in general, and that much more so for Schwarber and Ozuna on account of their status as designated hitters.

The disclaimer for all of the above is that it's still early to be thinking about the coming offseason. And yet, it's also hard not to for Mariners fans. Not after the franchise so thoroughly dropped the ball last winter. And certainly not after a 3-7 start to the 2025 season that already has fans losing hope. It's times like these when there's comfort to be had in indulging in "what ifs."