Latest Jeff Passan report suggests Mariners may take advantage of free agent market

It has been a little under two months after the Dodgers made the last out to win the 2024 World Series. Since then, teams have committed to over $2 billion in free agent contracts and a few big trades have transformed middle-of-the-road teams into postseason contenders.

Unfortunately, the Seattle Mariners haven't been involved in any transformative activities of the sort, preferring to acquire bits and pieces here and there. However, they may just be biding their time before finally making their presence known this winter.

In a lengthy article detailing the current offseason environment, MLB insider Jeff Passan broke down where he felt everything stood. When discussing trades, he mentioned that major moves could be yet to come, but many teams and players have been more apprehensive as of late.

Nolan Arenado recently used his no-trade clause to block a transaction that would've sent him to the Houston Astros. Similarly, there was immense interest in Luis Castillo from several teams, but given his no-trade clause as well as recent statements from the front office, the likelihood of him being moved decreases with each passing day. There still are some teams that seem more open to getting a deal done, like the Padres, who have some pieces that could really help the Mariners, but the stove seems to have cooled down since its peak during the Winter Meetings.

On the free agent side, the only area in which Seattle really needs improvement is its infield. Passan reported that the market was cold, going so far as to say that "the pipes are frozen" in reference to the first-base options. However, that may actually work well for the Mariners. With Christian Walker recently signing with Houston, the pickings for infield sluggers has thinned out. Other organizations may not be satisfied with short-term deals with older players, but a one-year deal with Carlos Santana or Paul Goldschmidt could be a perfect band-aid fix for Seattle.

On related note, the top two middle infield targets in Ha-Seong Kim and Gleyber Torres each come with their own set of concerns (injury and regression, respectively), which could limit how much teams are willing to commit to them at this time. If their offers top out at $30 million each, Seattle could more than reasonably compete even with their low payroll, if they choose to take on the risk.

To fans of big market teams with bottomless coffers, making a splash means spending $200 million on a shiny new ace or $765 million on a generational talent who won the World Series when he was 20 years old. For fans of the Mariners, it means getting any new player for the upcoming season. The way things currently stand, Seattle might still be able to take advantage of a sleepier infield market and snag one of this year's undervalued assets at a bargain bin price.