2 changes we would make to the Seattle Mariners' contention model

In a fitting end to a disheartening season, the Mariners were finally eliminated from postseason contention not by their own hand but by that of one of their division rivals. After the Rangers' matinee win over the Mets on Thursday, the Mariners were out of the picture before they even took the field against the Angels. Even if the Rangers and Astros had both lost, Seattle would go on to lose and drop to a record of 74-85, finally out of reach of October.

This team was delaying its execution for months. The last time Seattle had a .500 record was on July 21st, when a loss to the Reds put them at 51-51. Since then, they've had more losses than wins and despite still having a chance thanks to a weak division, they seemed far from legitimate contenders.

Now that the season is over, what's next? Like the 29 other teams, the Mariners will participate in the annual humdrum and rigmarole of the offseason, teasing trades and free agent acquisitions. They'll almost certainly be on the lookout for a new manager, but those are all small changes.

In dire times, it's common for many to demand change in the form of an entire front office turnover and an change of hands in ownership but even if that were to happen, there's no guarantee that the underlying problems would be fixed. If the team had to totally rethink their approach, what are some adjustments that could actually get the Mariners back into the championship picture?

The Mariners need to rethink their roster construction and mentality

1. Use prospect capital more liberally when driving trades

The Mariners have been one of the best organizations at scouting and developing young talent. Over the past few years, their farm system has been considered one of the strongest in baseball yet recently, the team hasn't gotten much out of the players that have made it to the big leagues.

The current roster is primarily made up of homegrown talent that debuted before 2024. The last group of players to debut and subsequently become major league contributors were Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, and Emerson Hancock, all of whom were called up in 2023. Since then, many of the organization's top prospects have either struggled to be productive in the big leagues or failed to make it altogether. Notable examples include Tyler Locklear, Jonatan Clase, Harry Ford, and most recently Colt Emerson.

Seattle has been adamant about retaining their premier prospects, but failing to sell high often leaves value on the table, especially when they don't exactly pan out. Even when they do pan out, like in the case of Cole Young, it creates a problem of surplus where other middle infield prospects like Michael Arroyo and Felnin Celesten will have to play out of position or be relegated to a bench position.

This year's trade deadline was a deviation from the norm but Seattle has usually been pretty good at adding value on the trade market. Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez in 2025, Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner in 2024, Dominic Canzone in 2023, and Luis Castillo in 2022 are all examples of players who were great acquisitions by the front office.

Great trades often demand prospect capital and without it, the possible returns are rarely enough to move the needle. The Mariners have been great at building a strong farm system but ultimately it's the major league team that needs the most help, so why hold onto minor league talent at the cost of big league success?

2. Build a scrappy, "next man up" kind of lineup

Though the fans may crave it, it's doubtful that the Mariners will ever truly operate like a big-market team. An impending salary cap may change things but as it stands, Seattle simply isn't a big enough market to regularly deploy a budget in excess of the luxury tax. That may sound discouraging but there is a franchise in a similar boat that has found a way to be successful for nearly a decade.

According to Cot's Contracts, the Milwaukee Brewers' 40-man payroll stands at $144.6 million, 19th in MLB and $20 million lower than that of the Mariners. However, they've clinched the NL Central for the fourth time in a row and have won 100 games in the regular season for the first time in franchise history. This year is their eighth postseason appearance in the last nine years. Milwaukee is an even smaller market than Seattle and the team has even less star power yet they've found a way to be more consistently successful. What's their secret?

Milwaukee's approach to hitting is all about playing matchups. While they do have some true everyday players like second baseman Brice Turang and catcher William Contreras, they're not afraid to swap guys in and out regularly. This year, the Brewers have had 13 players make at least 200 plate appearances while the Mariners have just nine players that meet the threshold.

Because of the nature of baseball, putting all your eggs in one or a few baskets is a risky way to build a lineup. So, you can either stack it 1-9 with superstars and carry a colossal payroll or have a deep lineup that does the little things correctly: stealing bases, making good swing decisions, putting the ball in play, and moving runners along the base paths. The Brewers have hit just 152 home runs this year (28th in MLB) yet have a .742 OPS (4th in MLB) with 161 stolen bases (5th in MLB).

In a pitcher's ballpark like T-Mobile Park, these factors become even more important and Seattle actually has the pieces to make it work. With a slew of young prospects on the rise, the Mariners could very well change their hitting approach to be more similar to that of the Brewers while still allowing certain players like Lazaro Montes and Cal Raleigh to lean into their strengths.

The best part about this lineup is that it almost always comes cheap. Singles and scrappy attitudes don't pay the bills for players since in a vacuum, they're not nearly as valuable as home runs and nonchalant bat flips. However, when working together, it's a recipe for success that the Brewers have relied on for years.

It does make it little harder to win games in small samples, namely in the postseason, which is something Milwaukee still struggles with. Still, Seattle can't afford to put the cart before the horse and needs to worry about being a contender before it worries about being a champion.

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