MLB Network insider floats a Mariners contract that would be overflowing with risk

The Seattle Mariners were quite rightly all about team success over individual accomplishments during the 2025 season. However, there were still certain players who were pivotal towards the push to within eight outs of a first ever World Series berth in franchise history.

We're talking about the likes of Cal Raleigh, Bryan Woo, second-half Julio Rodríguez and Josh Naylor following his trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 24, Another player who deserves more than his fair share of kudos is closer Andrés Muñoz.

A career year for Andrés Muñoz

As we wrote about last week, the 2025 campaign proved to be a career year for Muñoz, as he set single-season bests with a 2.4 WAR, 1.73 ERA, 219 ERA+ and 38 saves. Throw in a 2.43 FIP, 1.027 WHIP and 32.7 strikeout rate, and fans must dread to think where the Mariners bullpen would have been without him.

Muñoz then cemented his standing as one of the best closers — and indeed best relievers full stop in the majors — during the postseason, allowing only two hits, two walks and most importantly no runs in 8.1 combined innings over seven appearances. As a result, Jon Morosi of MLB Network took to social media to ask if it's time for the Mariners to extend the two-time All-Star?

Despite the fallout from the whole "Shohei Ohtani is on a plane to Toronto" report on social media a couple of offseasons ago, we still consider Morosi to be a good baseball reporter. And on a peripheral level, we can at least objectively understand his position on Muñoz.

Further, a look at Muñoz's Baseball Savant page only reinforces how good he was this season. It is littered with percentile rankings in the 90s including 99 for Breaking Run Value and 98 for Whiff%, as well as 96 for both K% and Fastball Velo. Despite all this, though, we do not agree with Morosi's opinion that the Mariners should extend the former San Diego Padre.

No need for the Mariners to rush into anything

As Morosi himself mentions, the Mariners already have control of Muñoz through the 2028 season on team-friendly club options. After this point, the Mexico native will then turn 30, which ties into the next point of how much longer he can keep producing at his current level?

Not helping is some question surrounding Muñoz's fastball velocity which, as much as it did rank in the 96th percentile this season, tied last year for a career-low average of 98.4 mph. In general his four-seamer has been trending downwards since a career-high average of 100.2 mph in 2022, and in September of this season specifically was down to 97.8 mph.

To be clear, we're not suggesting Muñoz is going to suddenly fall off a cliff, and we know there are plenty of teammates and fans who love him and would be more than happy to see him rewarded for all that he's done in Seattle. However, there really is no need to jump the gun any time soon, with it making much more sense to see how things play out in the next three seasons and then decide what to do with the righty.