A 4-part Winter Meetings wish list for the Seattle Mariners

Sign an Impact Free Agent Hitter

This seems to be an avenue that the Mariners are most likely to go with next on their offseason agenda. They have two of their infielders from their ALCS run sitting on the open market and they could reunite with either of them. Adding Jorge Polanco or Eugenio Suárez back into the mix would make a lot of sense. Currently on the infield, they have Ben Williamson and Cole Young slated to take every day spots in 2026, but both have questions.

Williamson is a superb defender but his offensive style lacks the power upside that Geno gave the Mariners in the second half and playoffs. He might hit for a slightly higher average, but also does not have the same clubhouse presence or strike fear into opposing pitchers. Young had a solid start to his debut season last year, but faded down the stretch and lost playing time to utility man Leo Rivas. The Mariners rolled with Polanco at second base for most of the playoffs, even though he is not as strong of a defender.

By bringing back either of those two players, the Mariners could go into the season feeling more confident about three of their four infield spots and give an opportunity to a young player they like to see if they can grow into an every day role. With the Mariners having so many impressive prospects progressing through the minor leagues, they will have to eventually see time in the big leagues without being blocked by an established big leaguer, so giving a chance for one of them to run with a starting job instead of two would make fans and the front office some confidence in 2026.

There is also the possibility that the Mariners could sign a different free agent to bring in. Going around the diamond, the Mariners are now in the market for a backup catcher after trading Harry Ford for a lefty reliever to bolster the bullpen. Mitch Garver is an option to bring back, but the Mariners could also turn to another former Mariner like Tom Murphy, or go with a completely new backup catcher.

There are some intriguing veteran catchers like Victor Caratini, Danny Jansen, and Elías Díaz out there that have been solid part-time catchers in their careers who could help take the load off of Cal Raleigh when he needs it. The Mariners could also make a splashy addition on their infield by signing Bo Bichette or Alex Bregman to play second or third base. Either of those two guys would improve their lineup significantly, but also cost a lot of money. It is unclear if the Mariners are going to swim in those deep waters of the free agent pool but it sure would be fun to add one of them.