4 Mariners who won't be back in 2026 after ALCS Game 7 heartbreak

The Seattle Mariners had never been closer to the World Series than they were after winning Game 5 of the American League Championship Series last Friday. But all good things must come to an end, and the end in this case came sooner than the Mariners hoped in Game 7 on Monday.

What happened in Game 7 — specifically in the seventh inning — figures to be litigated and relitigated all winter. But there will also be real business for the Mariners to attend to, with the primary question being how they can upgrade their 2025 roster.

To this end, retaining talent will be the easy part. The Mariners only have a small handful of free agents and potential free agents. And given how open Jerry Dipoto has been about wanting to keep him, it isn't a given that Josh Naylor will be one of the free agents who leaves.

Yet even if major roster turnover isn't in the cards for the Mariners this offseason, it's still possible to identify players who will likely be moving on.

4 Mariners who likely won't be back in 2026 after heartbreaking loss in ALCS Game 7

1. 3B Eugenio Suárez

It would hurt to watch "Geno" leave Seattle again, and maybe even more than the first time. He was a home run machine for the Diamondbacks after going to Arizona via trade in 2023. And even if his return to Seattle this summer failed to live up to the hype for the most part, he redeemed himself when he hit the game-winning grand slam in ALCS Game 5.

Yet whereas he has done so with Naylor, you're not hearing Dipoto speak about wanting to keep Suárez around, too. The 34-year-old is seen as the more likely of the two trade deadline acquisitions to sign elsewhere as a free agent, and not just because he's likely to command a lucrative multi-year deal. Between Ben Williamson and hot-shot prospect Colt Emerson, the Mariners have two solid in-house options to replace him at third base.

2. 2B/DH Jorge Polanco

Polanco vested a $6 million player option for 2026 back in September, and it's as good as declined after what he did in the regular season and in the playoffs. He posted a career-best 134 OPS+ and then went on an October run highlighted by two homers off Tarik Skubal and game-winning RBIs in three straight games.

The 32-year-old is a candidate for a qualifying offer, but Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors is likely right in calling it a long shot. Not being tied to draft-pick compensation would only make it easier for him to seek a multi-year deal worth eight figures per year on the open market. His price may be too much for the Mariners, who have Cole Young standing by to play second base.

3. C Mitch Garver

Garver has a $12 million mutual option for 2026, but the Mariners are certain to take the $1 million buyout instead. The 34-year-old went bust with an 86 OPS+ in two seasons in Seattle, and a sac fly off Skubal in ALDS Game 5 was his only memorable playoff moment.

Garver's job as Cal Raleigh's backup figures to fall to Harry Ford, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 42 prospect in the league. He only got a cup of coffee in the big leagues this year, but has nothing left to prove in the minors after five strong seasons marked by an .832 OPS.

4. LHP Caleb Ferguson

Ferguson is not the reliever Mariners fans wanted at the trade deadline, and he didn't exactly win them over with his performance down the stretch. He gave up 21 hits and eight walks in 22 innings in August and September, and he then allowed multiple runs in two of his three outings in the playoffs.

The 29-year-old is set to become a free agent, and the club's interest in bringing him back should be between slim and none. They'll have plenty of other options to consider as they seek a second left-hander to help out Gabe Speier in the bullpen.