3 free agents the Seattle Mariners should be in love with

Like 28 other MLB teams, the Mariners are patiently waiting for the conclusion of the World Series before moving onto the next phase of the baseball lifecycle: the offseason. After a disappointing season, the team has no shortage of needs and the most pressing weakness in the current roster is offense.

Adam Jude of The Seattle Times recently projected that the Mariners should have between $30 to $40 million left in their budget for next year which, in this economy, really isn't much. That would buy you almost a full season of Bo Bichette or a little less than two-thirds of a season of Juan Soto. Needless to say, Seattle likely won't be in the running for this year's big-money free agents like Tarik Skubal or Randy Arozarena, but there are still some names that could move the needle for an affordable price.

These 3 free agents need to be in the middle of the Mariners' offseason radar

Gary Sánchez

It may be surprising to think that a backup catcher is worth a concerted effort from the Mariners, especially since the last few players to fill that role haven't exactly been fan favorites. Though Tom Murphy and Jhonny Pereda found some success over the past several years, other players like Mitch Garver and Seby Zavala left much to be desired.

Prior to 2026, it seemed like an unimportant place on the roster given Cal Raleigh's ability and durability. However, since that narrative has changed after a disappointing year that also included the first IL stint of his big league career, maybe it's not such a bad idea to get some backup.

Gary Sánchez is someone who fits the team's needs particularly well because aside from being able to play behind the dish, his playing time has begun to skew more towards being a designated and pinch hitter. Over the past three seasons, he has played catcher in 93 games while serving as DH in 77 games and pinch-hitting in 38.

Though limited to just 275 plate appearances this season, he posted his best offensive numbers by OPS+ since 2019, hitting to a 112 OPS+ for the Brewers. Aside from having one of the highest walk rates in baseball (16.7%), he performed well against left-handed hitters, posting an .801 OPS across 123 plate appearances. At 33 years old and with limited ability to be a positive defensive contributor, Sánchez could be a solid offensive addition to fill the need in the short-term.

Gregory Soto

Reloading the relief unit is annual tradition for MLB teams and the Mariners are no exception. Especially with last year potentially raising some concerns about Andrés Muñoz, reinforcing the back of the bullpen doesn't seem like that bad of an idea.

Seattle tried to do that last year, trading away prized prospect Harry Ford to the Nationals in exchange for Jose A. Ferrer in a deal that seemed to leave both parties unsatisfied. The Mariners didn't get the southpaw they were expecting so why not take a chance on another one?

Like Ferrer, Gregory Soto doesn't have numbers that exactly jump off the page, but he does have some compelling qualities. He posted a respectable 3.63 ERA with 16 saves over 67 innings. More importantly, he had a 3.32 FIP and outstanding peripherals. His east/west arsenal is full of lateral movement. His sinker, slider, sweeper, and four-seam fastball all make it immensely difficult for opposing hitters to square up his pitches.

SIERA is a more advanced version of ERA that rewards pitchers that minimize hard contact and Soto's 2026 mark of 3.39 was 10th among left-handed relievers with at least 60 innings pitched. He also had an xERA of 3.03, landing him in the 88th percentile and serving as another indicator that the best may be yet to come. Soto doesn't necessarily have the track record to command a large contract which could make him the perfect fit for Seattle's budget and roster needs.

Teruaki Sato

Teruaki Sato is shaping up to be one of the most sought-after position players in this year's free agent class. MLB Trade Rumors has him ranked second in their free agent power rankings and for good reason. In 2026, he slashed .306/.383/.609 over 614 plate appearances for the Hanshin Tigers, numbers that are made even more impressive by the fact that the NPB is currently in an offensive slump. 2026 was the sixth season in a row that the league averaged an OPS under .700.

His availability is made even more alluring by the lack of other enticing position player options and although some may have questioned whether production in NPB can translate to a successful MLB tenure, both Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami seemed to do alright for themselves last season.

At first glance, the fact that he has primarily played third base and bats left-handed may make him seem less appealing to Seattle, yet his offensive upside should be enough to negate both of these factors as blockers. Furthermore, recent reports seem to suggest that he's due for a move to the outfield once he makes it the United States. If he does land in right field, he'd be a perfect candidate to fill one of the Mariners' impending gaps in the lineup.

There will be plenty of other teams interested in Sato's services, which could drive up his asking price but the aforementioned sluggers that made the jump last year both signed for contracts that were far below initial estimates. Okamoto signed with the Blue Jays for $60 million over four years and Murakami's deal with the White Sox is worth $34 million over two years. It would be reasonable to expect Sato's contract to fall somewhere in between these two numbers, an amount that's plenty affordable for even the Mariners. He won't be an easy free agent to land but if he's as good as he's cracked up to be, he'll be well worth the effort.

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