Mariners can fall back on tested Plan B if they don't finish offeason in style

The more you hear people in the know talk about the Seattle Mariners, the more you sense that the 2026 roster isn't going to change in a major way between now and Opening Day.

A trade for Brendan Donovan remains a possibility, but there hasn't been fresh buzz regarding the Mariners in a while — and the St. Louis Cardinals seem ready to move on anyway. While Eugenio Suárez's market does seem to be pushing him toward a one-year deal, the Mariners have never come off as especially enthusiastic about a third reunion with the slugging third baseman.

There's a lot to take away from the 20 minutes that Adam Jude of The Seattle Times spent with Foul Territory on Thursday, but perhaps most notable is his characterization of the team's offseason status. In short: the Mariners remain in the market for a proven bat, but it won't be surprising if they don't do anything by Opening Day.

As Jude alluded to, this is not exactly what an increasingly frustrated Mariners fanbase wants to hear.

Frankly, the frustration isn't totally unjustified. It was perfectly reasonable to expect the team to push the envelope after falling eight outs shy of the World Series in 2025. Instead, it feels like the team has aimed for a "B" offseason rather than an "A" offseason.

The Mariners can fall back on the trade deadline if they don't finish their offseason in style

There is, however, something to be said about how much trust the organization deserves at the outset of 2026.

Now more than ever, it's fair to say that the front office is in good hands with Jerry Dipoto at the helm. The dude just won Executive of the Year honors in 2025, and that honor can largely be traced back to a player development machine that could produce two more wins in 2026: Cole Young and Colt Emerson.

Barring a trade for Donovan, Young is going to get another shot at second base after a rocky debut in 2025. And barring a new deal for Suárez, Emerson is going to get a shot to beat Ben Williamson for the third base job this spring. From the signals the organization is sending out about him, it sure seems like hopes are high for the 20-year-old top prospect.

And hey, if all else fails, there's always the trade deadline.

That won't come around until August 3 this year, and it's only natural to fear calamity engulfing the Mariners before they get an excuse to make upgrades. Yet the sheer possibility of deadline shopping is another area where the Mariners have earned some trust.

Indeed, it is actually impressive how many core members of the 2026 Mariners originally arrived in deadline trades. There was Andrés Muñoz and Matt Brash in 2020. There was Luis Castillo in 2022. There was Dominic Canzone in 2023. There was Randy Arozarena in 2024. And while Suárez is currently out, he came over after Josh Naylor in 2025.

This is still another thing that Jude alluded to, and he also made the point that prospects tend to have more value in the summer than they do during the winter. That could work to the Mariners' favor, as they figure to still have a strong farm system even if Emerson loses his prospect eligibility.

Donovan could be available this summer if the Cardinals don't trade him before the season opens. CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals is another possibility. And similar to what happened with the Arizona Diamondbacks last year, there are always teams that fall out of contention and look to save face by selling off valuable wares at the deadline.

Granted, the Mariners saving their own face at the deadline arguably should not be Plan A right now. But if Plan A doesn't work out, there's comfort in knowing that this is a tried-and-true Plan B.