3 Mariners who shouldn't be guaranteed an Opening Day roster spot in 2025

The 2024 season for the Seattle Mariners saw pretty much everything go right for the pitching staff, while pretty much everything went wrong for the offense. The two groups couldn't have been more opposite as far as their performance went. The pitching, expected to anchor the team and be a top-five unit in the game, absolutely held up to their end of the bargain and more. They remained about as healthy as anyone could ask for and dominated through the end of the year.

The offense, however, was absolute garbage for all but about a month and a half. There's no easy way to put it. Guys like Julio Rodriguez, Mitch Garver and Jorge Polanco were expected to be run producers while JP Crawford was supposed to be building off a breakout year. None of that happened, leading to what should be a massive overhaul in the infield (and maybe even with the DH spot).

With the continued offensive struggles, this team need to cherish its roster spots. The M's cannot continue to carry players who can't hit their weight. Same goes for those who are just "good clubhouse guys." Instead, find a good clubhouse guy that can actually provide value to this team. With that being said, the Mariners shouldn't keep any move off limits. They need to get bold and not be scared to eat a bad contract (more on that later).

3 Mariners who shouldn't be guaranteed an Opening Day roster spot in 2025

Mitch Haniger

The first and most obvious one is Mitch Haniger. It is a hard pill to swallow, but the writing was on the wall when Dan Wilson took over as Haniger only played in 15 of the 34 games that the former Mariners catcher managed. Haniger was expected to produce, at least a little bit, but many thought he would deal with significant injuries that would shorten his season. However, Haniger actually avoided the injured list altogether in 2024, playing in 121 games. It just didn't go well.

Haniger had some timely hits as a veteran presence in the lineup, but his .208/.286/.334 slash line with just 12 home runs should not be on this roster as an extra outfielder or DH type. Haniger, unsurprisingly, picked up his club option for 2025 ($17.5 million), but this shouldn't guarantee his roster spot. If Dipoto wants to clear his salary for 2025, it will cost some serious prospect capital for another team to eat. If John Stanton is willing to eat the money, which they are already paying him anyway, then Haniger should just get designated for assignment, allowing a more productive role player to take his spot.

Mitch Garver

Another Mitch that massively disappointed in 2024, Garver, was supposed to be the middle-of-the-lineup run producer that this team desperately needed. Unfortunately, Garver would be relegated to try and contribute as a backup catcher after many fans expected him to be the full-time DH, practically avoiding the catcher position in an effort to keep him healthy. A DH that slashes .172/.286/.341 with 15 home runs and a 31% strikeout rate just isn't all that valuable.

Garver will likely be the team's backup catcher heading into 2025, with the assumption he will get some DH days. If Dipoto is serious about upgrading this offense, and he needs the financial means to do it, paying a backup catcher $12.5 million this year doesn't seem like a great allocation of resources. There is a solid chance that 2024 was an outlier and Garver can bounce back in a big way, which would be huge for this offense, but can this team really afford to sit around and hope on that? Like Haniger, moving Garver for salary relief would cost some prospect capital, but it is something that Dipoto and Hollander need to, at the very least, explore.

Dylan Moore

Easily the most surprising name on this list is one of two Mariners that won a 2024 Gold Glove: Dylan Moore. A versatile elite defender that can steal bases is an incredibly valuable asset for a contending team. So why shouldn't Moore be guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster? It is for that exact reason, and his value will likely never be higher.

Moore is a solid bat, albeit one that doesn't hit for a high average, but provides quite a bit of value in a different way. Moore draws walks at a high rate (12% in 2024) and he cut back on his strikeout rate by 6%, down to 27.9% from 33.9%. The 32-year-old utility man stole 32 bases in 135 games while playing six different defensive positions, displaying the many ways that he's been able to impact the game.

This seems like the perfect time to capitalize and see if someone is willing to pay a premium for a utility infielder/outfielder. The team has quite a few options like Leo Rivas and Ryan Bliss that could provide a similar type of bench "spark plug" role. Maybe Moore can net you a mid-leverage reliever while also getting a bit of salary relief ($3.9 million) that could be allocated towards a more regular bat. Not to mention, he is a free agent after 2025, further emphasizing this as the right time to take advantage of Moore's potential market.