Jeff Passan suggests Mariners completely overhaul their infield this offseason

The Mariners will be one of many teams looking to make major improvements this offseason, especially to their lineup. They had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball ... but also scored the fewest runs.

When asked what their area of focus should be, Jeff Passan suggested getting a whole new infield, essentially. He noted that there was plenty of existing talent in the outfield with Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena, and Victor Robles staying together for the next few years (barring one of them being used as a trade piece), but the rest of the lineup needed "a remake."

Seattle infielders combined for a .669 OPS in 2024 (24th in MLB). Although he had fewer than 200 plate appearances with the team, Justin Turner's .766 OPS was the highest mark, followed by Luis Urias (.696 OPS, 109 PA) and Dylan Moore (.687 OPS, 441 PA). Despite primarily being a corner outfielder, Luke Raley also spent a considerable amount of time at first base and was the best qualified hitter overall with a .783 OPS and 129 OPS+.

The biggest struggles came from Jorge Polanco and Josh Rojas, both of whom were worse than league-average offensively. After a scorching first month of the season, Rojas hit a cold stretch that lasted the remaining five months. He never put it together again, resulting in a .585 OPS from May until the end of the season. Polanco did heat up in the second half and rediscovered more of his power, but it wasn't nearly enough to meet the high expectations that followed him from Minnesota.

There are quite a few options to choose from, as this year's free agent market is filled to the brim with eligible infielders. Seattle has had its fair share of rumors already involving some bats, but Passan highlighted a few general examples of names to pursue. At first base, he listed Pete Alonso, Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt, Rhys Hoskins, Ryan O’Hearn, Josh Bell, Carlos Santana, and Anthony Rizzo, each with their own pros and cons. The pickings were drastically slimmer at second and third base with Gleyber Torres and Alex Bregman being the only notable names.

Passan avoided the shorstop position given the Mariners' existing five-year, $51 million commitment to JP Crawford that extends through 2026. Crawford's 2024 was a big offensive regression after 2023 saw him lead the American League in walks while receiving MVP votes, but he still managed 2.7 rWAR. Largely driven by his incredible defense, he had 9 Defensive Runs Saved, a career best, despite spending ~400 fewer innings in the field due to injury.

One potential issue with committing to a big-name free agent in the infield is that three of the Mariners' top five prospects are infielders. They have expected call-up dates ranging from 2025 to 2028, and the prospects are good enough for them to be ranked the top 100 prospects across all MLB.

A couple of them had such great years that they were selected to MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the year. This makes signing a player seeking a longer-term deal potentially less valuable to Seattle, who may believe they can get the best out of their in-house assets. On the other hand, these prospects are primarily middle infielders, which still gives the front office the ability to commit to a five- or six-year contract for a first or third baseman.

Another obvious recurring limitation in any offseason is budget restraint and market demand for the talents, especially with such a top-heavy free agent class. However, with no full-time first baseman, an expensive team option for Polanco that may get waived, and a lackluster bat at third base, the front office may have to loosen the pursestrings to avoid a third October spent at home.