4 World Series participants Mariners should be chasing once offseason begins

The World Series will begin on Friday, and Seattle Mariners fans aren't totally without rooting interests. The Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers employ a handful of former Mariners players. Plus, the Brewers were technically born in Seattle.

As for Jerry Dipoto, Justin Hollander and the rest of the front office, the World Series should be a chance to do a little window shopping for the offseason. Which members of the Rays and Brewers will be worth targeting when it's over?

Let's run through some potential options, consisting of two hitters and two pitchers the Mariners have every reason to covet.

1 free agent and 3 trade targets for Mariners to watch during Rays-Brewers World Series

C/DH Gary Sánchez, Milwaukee Brewers

Of the Rays and Brewers who are likely to reach free agency this winter, Jake Bauers stands to be the biggest name. The one-time Mariner has become an impact hitter in Milwaukee, especially as he was winning the NLCS MVP. But since Seattle doesn't need another left-handed hitter with limited defensive usefulness, a reunion doesn't make a ton of sense.

The 33-year-old Sánchez would fit nicely as a partner in crime for Cal Raleigh, who should spend less time in the crouch in what will be his age-30 season in 2027. It's been a long time since Sánchez was a 30-homer hitter for the New York Yankees, yet he ran into 12 home runs this season and finished with a 121 wRC+ against lefties.

As of now, the Mariners are set to roll with Jhonny Pereda as Raleigh's backup. He's a good energy guy, but the team needs more than that to recover from a season that saw them finish third from the bottom of MLB in scoring.

3B/SS Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers

This is where we get into potential trade candidates, and there isn't a whole lot to say about Ortiz that we haven't said already. Indeed, it seems as if the whole fanbase has become enamored with the 28-year-old.

The Mariners need to improve their defense. And after both missed significant time with injuries in 2026, they'd be wise to not assume that Colt Emerson and Brendan Donovan can be a workable tandem on the left side of the infield. Hence the appeal of Ortiz, who's a plus defender at both positions. He also bats righty, compared to lefty for Emerson and Donovan.

Ortiz is projected to earn $2.4 million in 2027, with two additional seasons under club control before reaching free agency. It's not a lot of money in the abstract, but the budget-conscious Brewers might deem it too much for a guy who has become somewhat redundant on their roster.

RHP Trevor Megill, Milwaukee Brewers

His name is Megill. He mostly allows nil. And everyone knows him as nasty.

Sorry, had to do it. What really matters is that the 32-year-old Megill is an All-Star closer who has posted a 160 OPS+ across the last three seasons. He's also stopped allowing home runs, as he's permitted just one ball over the fence this year in 67.1 total innings. The Mariners allowed 104 home runs just in the second half this year, and 41 of those (a rate of 1.7 per nine innings) were against relievers.

With an $8 million salary projected for his final season under club control in 2027, Megill is at that point where the Brewers are known to cash in. They're also never in short supply of dominant relievers, as anyone who has watched Aaron Ashby this October can testify.

RHP Kevin Kelly, Tampa Bay Rays

It's hardly a given that the Rays will be willing to trade Kelly. He's been one of their top relievers this year, and he's only projected to make $2.6 million in 2027. He won't be a free agent until after 2029.

The Rays are always down to deal, though, and dealing with the Mariners could be a way to turn a controllable reliever into the kind of prospect capital they rely on to keep their contention window open. To wit, it wasn't even a year ago that Dipoto swapped Harry Ford for Jose A. Ferrer.

Kelly, 28, has posted sub-3.00 ERAs in two of the last three seasons, and he would bring a very different look to a Mariners bullpen that is a little same-y when it comes to the right-handed arms. He releases the ball from an average height of 3.67 feet, whereas the standard Mariners righty reliever was at 5.48 feet this season.

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