Mariners will need to figure out these 3 positions ahead of 2027 season

Postseason elimination and the worst season in seven years may be the saddest way to send off longtime announcer Rick Rizzs but given Seattle's unfortunate history, it's at least somewhat fitting. On the bright side, the Mariners will have plenty of time this winter to make adjustments to their roster and there's no shortage of areas of improvement.

Though there was so much that went wrong for Seattle this year, there are a few positions that will likely remain the same. These spots on the roster represent longer term financial commitments from the front office. Aside from their star power, Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh aren't going anywhere because they're both under contract for several more years. Similarly, Josh Naylor still has four more years remaining on the deal he signed this past offseason.

In that case, what should the organization's biggest positional priorities be?

The Mariners need to figure out the left side of their infield and an outfield spot

Third Base

Brendan Donovan was supposed to be Seattle's answer at third base and to his credit, he was a strong contributor when healthy, posting a 127 OPS+. Unfortunately, injury struggles have kept him off the field for much of the year, forcing the Mariners to rely on a hodgepodge of other players like J.P. Crawford, Weston Wilson, and Leo Rivas.

Cumulatively, Mariners third baseman have combined for a wRC+ of just 77 and -0.2 fWAR, 29th in MLB ahead of only the Reds (-1.1 fWAR). Donovan will still be under club control next year but it's risky to depend on him as the top option. The organization does have plenty of infield prospects like Michael Arroyo and Felnin Celesten but the highest-ranked name that's classified as a third baseman is Ace Reese who is still in Single-A.

The free agent and trade markets have traditionally been quite thin for third basemen and this year seems no different. The Mariners will have to get creative to fill this roster gap and unless they want to risk another slate of injuries from Brendan Donovan or underwhelming performance from infielders playing out of position, it should be near the top of the agenda.

Shortstop

2026 was supposed to be a breakout year for phenom prospect Colt Emerson. After committing nearly $100 million to lock down his future with Seattle, he posted a 67 wRC+ over 241 plate appearances before cutting his season short due to wrist surgery. It's going to be a while before he can resume baseball activities at full intensity and when he does, who knows if he'll be able to hold down the starting spot.

Luckily, the Mariners had J.P. Crawford who was reasonably productive, posting an impressive 133 wRC+ and accumulating 1.8 fWAR while returning to his natural position. Sadly, he'll be a free agent this year and given the organization's aforementioned excess of middle infield talent, it's unlikely he'll return. It's far too early for Seattle to give up on Colt Emerson but it couldn't hurt to get a veteran backup option to hold down the fort while he continues to get acclimated.

Left Field

No player has been more productive in left field than the Mariners' own Randy Arozarena, who posted a 150 wRC+ and 5.0 fWAR, holding a comfortable lead over Jackson Chourio in second place. However, he won't be the Mariners' own for very long. MLB Trade Rumors is anticipating that he'll sign a contract between three and four years and projects him to comfortably exceed the $66 million deal given to Teoscar Hernandez following a statistically similar 2024 campaign.

The rest of the depth chart will likely clear out as well. Taylor Ward and Víctor Robles are headed for the open market and Weston Wilson is far from a viable starting option. Free agency is remarkably thin with a 32-year-old Ian Happ the only slightly alluring option.

This could be exactly what Michael Arroyo needs to solidify his role on the team and he has been playing well in his brief big league stint thus far. Defensively, there are plenty of concerns about what he can do in the outfield but at this point, it may be wise to sacrifice some run prevention for run creation. This will likely be the most difficult position for the Mariners to fill. The club can play musical chairs with their surplus of infield talent but they're lighter than they should be in the outfield.

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