3 players on the Mariners holiday wish list ahead of the MLB Winter Meetings

With Winter Meetings set to begin and the Mariners being very active in both the trade and free agent market, we look at who should be atop their free agent holiday wish list.

Republic of Korea v Japan - Baseball - Olympics: Day 12
Republic of Korea v Japan - Baseball - Olympics: Day 12 | Koji Watanabe/GettyImages
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Mariners Free Agent Target #3: Jeimer Candelario

Candelario might be the most realistic name on this list for Mariners fans. Candelario is a solid option for the Mariners to replace Geno; he won't be that expensive, he is a CTZ guy and has some pop. In 2023, Candelario slashed .251/.336/.471 with 22 home runs and a 117 wRC+. He also had a solid K rate of 22% and a good walk rate at 9.2%, both of which fit the mold of what the Mariners are trying to do this offseason.

Spotrac estimates Candelario to get a 3-year deal worth about $35 million, giving him an AAV of $11.67. MLB Trade Rumors projects a 4-year deal worth $70 million, giving him $17.5 million per year. I think there is a happy medium here for Candelario, as I think Spotrac might be a little light and MLB Trade Rumors is pretty aggressive. I would be interested in something like a 3-year deal at $48 million for $16 AAV. I would also consider a 4-year deal worth $56 million, giving him an extra year but an AAV of $14 million.

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