Grading the Mariners' offseason with the calendar ready to flip to 2026

For many of us, the days between Christmas and New Year's Day are a period of limbo where not much gets done. For baseball executives however, the foot never comes off the gas. The Athletics, of all teams, finalized a deal on Christmas Day to keep Tyler Soderstrom around for a little longer, and more deals could be announced over the next week.

Although they have plenty of extension candidates of their own as well as roster holes to fill, the Mariners don't seem like they'll make a move until next year. So, it makes sense to look at the moves they have made this offseason and grade them based on how much of a positive impact they'll have on 2026.

Mariners sign Josh Naylor to a five-year deal: A

After being acquired from the Diamondbacks, Naylor wasted little time leaving his mark on Seattle. He posted a 138 OPS+ and had a few big moments in the postseason, endearing himself to fans and the front office alike. He's the first baseman the team has needed for so long, so it's no surprise that within a month of the conclusion of this year's World Series, he had already been signed to a five-year, $92.5 million deal. Along with bolstering the lineup, the contract is structured intelligently and defers money to the later portion of the contract.

It may not seem like much in today's era of big-money contracts, but for Seattle to cough up a nearly nine-figure contract to fix a crucial weakness in the lineup means that the organization is willing to invest in what they have and are committed to doing what it takes to be competitive over the next several seasons.

Mariners sign Andrew Knizner to a one-year deal: C

It's difficult to make much of an impact with a backup catcher. It's a player that isn't intended to play much, especially not behind Cal Raleigh, and is meant to hold down the fort while the first option gets some rest from playing the most demanding position in the sport. Knizner is about as average as backup catchers come, and there were reports that the Mariners could've gotten someone slightly more exciting, but this deal will probably end up being immaterial in the grand scheme of things.

Mariners trade away Harry Ford and Isaac Lyon for Jose A. Ferrer: B

It's never easy watching a homegrown talent leave the system, especially one as talented as Harry Ford. He is MLB Pipeline's No. 42 overall prospect and has plenty of promise, but now that Raleigh is reaching unprecedented heights and is on a newly signed extension through at least 2030, there simply wasn't a place for him to play on this team.

Some may have been disappointed with the return, but Ferrer has a lot of promise that may not be apparent at first glance. The bullpen was stated as one of the biggest needs for the team this winter and his underlying metrics suggest that he could be the answer the club has been looking for. This move should make the big league team better but until we see him pitch a significant amount of innings, it can't be said for sure how much.

Mariners sign Rob Refsnyder to a one-year contract: B+

Interestingly, the $6.5 million he'll receive from the Mariners will be more than three times higher than the highest salary he has ever received in his career. For a platoon option, it seems steep but Refsnyder has been one of the best at what he does. He has a career .826 OPS against left-handed pitching and posted a .959 against southpaws in 2025 over 138 plate appearances.

It's not a glamorous move, but it's an intelligent one nonetheless. He's capable of playing in the outfield or serving as a designated hitter, both of which are places Seattle could utilize his skillset. The Mariners are clearly trying to win on the margins and signing a player with Refsnyder's abilities does exactly that without breaking the bank.

So far, this has been a measured and tactical approach to roster construction by Seattle. They've plugged holes big and small but a lot of their hopes for next season still rest on what they do in the final few months before spring training. They're absolutely on the right track but at least one more impact move should be made if they want to defend their division title.