5 budget free agents the Mariners need to sign this offseason

As we head into a crazy free agency, every team including the Mariners is strapped for money because of COVID-19. So, here are 5 free agents who I believe would only cost $30 million combined next season that the Mariners need to sign to compete in 2021.

General Manager Jerry Dipoto has now entered his sixth free agency in charge of the Seattle Mariners. He heads into this free agency in an interesting limbo where the Mariners are clearly rebuilding, but they showed enough promise in the shortened 2020 season to make many believe that they could compete in 2021, and make most believe that they will certainly compete in 2022.

Dipoto has also said that the Mariners will be signing players to help their bullpen which signals that the rebuilding acquisitions may be over, and the Mariners are now buyers as they await their prospects to grow into MLB players.

I would assume that being cheap will be a top priority for most, if not all MLB teams this offseason as the league deals with the financial ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The MLB teams combined are looking at billions of dollars of debt piling up as well as billions in operating costs from the shortened 2020 season that did not see a fan in the stands until the final two rounds of the playoffs.

John Stanton, CEO of the Mariners Majority ownership group, said that the situation in 2020 is “financially devastating.” Therefore, I would have to believe that the Mariners are going to be one of the teams looking to not spend big.

A good thing about this offseason however is that there are a few All-Star quality players that can be signed for cheap who would fill the Mariners’ needs perfectly.