Mariners' steal on Andrés Muñoz will only get clearer during MLB offseason

In the early days of the MLB offseason, the first moves made are to finalize option decisions and qualifying offers. The Mariners have already gotten their business taken care of on that front and part of their recent work included exercising a 2026 club option worth $7 million for their most important bullpen arm, Andrés Muñoz.

For a reliever who posted a 1.73 ERA with 38 saves in 2025, that's already a great financial move. As the offseason progresses, it could start to look even better.

With closer contracts projected to skyrocket this offseason, Andrés Muñoz could be the most cost-effective high-leverage arm in MLB

The Athletic recently released their list of the top 50 free agents and their contract predictions, and it calls for deals in the four-year, $80-88 million range for Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez. Projections for other top relievers are more subdued, but that isn't the case for all publications. As an example, MLB Trade Rumors projects multi-year deals in the $12-17 million per year range for Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley.

The $7 million salary of Muñoz pales in comparison to the projected average annual salaries of this year's group of free agent closers. Additionally, he was undoubtedly more effective than Williams and Helsley this season.

The best part is that the Mariners still have two more club options for Muñoz: up to $9 million in 2027 and up to $11 million in 2028. In total, they'd be paying Muñoz a maximum of $27 million over the next three years. These club options are still part of the initial four-year, $7.5 million extension he signed with Seattle in 2021, a deal that might go down as one of the best in Mariners history.

On one hand, it's important that players are paid what they're worth. On the other hand, the Mariners took a financial risk early, extending Muñoz in 2021 after a lengthy rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery and exactly one big league appearance for the team. He got more of a financial guarantee upfront and will still make a considerable amount over the next three years. When he does become a free agent in 2029, he'll still be 30 years old with a few more years of prime baseball ahead of him. Both Edwin Díaz (31) and Robert Suarez (34) are older than he will be then, and they're both set to cash in big this winter.

In a vacuum, Seattle's contract with Andrés Muñoz has already paid for itself. When looking at the broader reliever landscape, it becomes even more valuable. What was an aggressive move just a few years ago has already paid dividends and the Mariners will get to reap the rewards for the next few years.