MLB insider blatantly gets Mariners fans' hopes up with 'greedy' free-agent pitch

Jim Bowden of The Athletic didn’t just light a match during his recent appearance on Bump and Stacy — he walked into the room with a flamethrower.

Asked what he’d do if the Mariners decided to add just one major piece this offseason, Bowden didn’t hesitate. No hedging, no qualifiers, no “well, realistically…” preamble. Just pure, unfiltered wish-casting.

“If I’m Jerry,” Bowden said, “I’m going after Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette… because I want to get greedy here.”

Jim Bowden tosses gasoline on Mariners’ offseason dreams with bold free-agent pitch

Greedy. That was the word. And if you listened closely, you could almost hear Mariners fans across the region whisper back: Yeah… and?

Bowden even took it a step further, giving the edge to Bichette — and saying outright that he’d overpay to get him. Long-term value, age 27, elite hit tool, postseason makeup, obsessed with winning, all the classic Bowden bullet points. He even labeled Bichette an “October guy,” which is basically rocket fuel for a fan base that’s spent decades staring at the postseason through the glass.

Then Bowden really leaned into the fantasy. He said Mariners ownership should “smell blood in the water,” push Jerry financially, and basically slide him a stuffed briefcase and instructions to go finish the job.

Will it happen? Probably not. But great pitch, Jim. Loved the energy.

Because here’s the thing — this is the most semi-plausible-yet-still-totally-unlikely connection to Bichette we’ve gotten to date. We’ve already broken down Bichette’s emerging fit, and the logic is undeniable: Seattle needs a second baseman, and Bichette fills that void better than anyone realistically available.

But also… Seattle has dipped into the $200 million free-agent waters before, and we all saw how violently that ride went off the rails. This organization is not wired for handing out mega-deals on a regular basis, and Bichette — and even Bregman — are going to command exactly that.

Still… Why not now? The Mariners are as insulated as they’ve ever been for a big swing, and here's why:

• Core stars are locked up on team-friendly deals
• The farm system is still loaded
• The contention window is wide open

If ownership ever wanted to go shark mode, as Bowden puts it, this would be the moment. But if this was Bowden trying to get Seattle fans riled up… mission accomplished.