White Sox stealing former Mariner from Cubs could affect potential trade talks

Much of the dialogue surrounding the Seattle Mariners' offseason needs has been focused on the infield, specifically the potential pursuit of a power bat at first base. However, the club still has a need at the other corner after dropping both Luis Urías and Josh Rojas from the roster.

Now that the latter has finally signed with a new team, it could close the door for any additional trades with the two teams that competed for his contract.

It has been a busy winter in Chicago. The Cubs have already made a couple of blockbuster moves to reinvent their outfield and recently got even more infield manpower just a few days ago after finalizing a deal with the Marlins. The White Sox are typically one of the sleepier teams in the offseason, but after trading away their star pitcher it seems the front office is finally coming out of hibernation. Both organizations had expressed interest in pursuing Rojas, and while the Southside ultimately won his services, what were both teams seeing that the Mariners didn't?

One of the prevailing theories is that the Cubs' front office is looking to build the most defensively proficient infield in baseball. Last year, they struggled to get fielding productivity from the hot corner with Christopher Morel and Isaac Paredes, both below-average defenders, while Rojas had a below-average OPS+ of 91 in 2024 but seven Defensive Runs Saved at third base. For the White Sox, anything would be better than last year's duo of Lenyn Sosa and Miguel Vargas. They still have a ways to go after winning just 41 games last year, but Rojas is a step in the right direction, at least for them.

Does this means that the Mariners missed out? Probably not. Having appeared in 188 games as a Mariner, Seattle knew what Rojas was and wasn't. His stellar glove was appreciated, but given the quality of the team's pitching staff versus that of the lineup, trading defense for offense simply wasn't a net-positive move for Seattle. It's the reason why the few free agents that have been linked to the team are typically great at the plate and not much more. Additionally, Josh Rojas was projected to make more than $4 million in arbitration this year, a meaningful amount for a team with the Mariners' financial restrictions.

Would it have been a smarter move to pay this salary to use him as a trade piece this offseason instead of getting nothing for his contract? Maybe, but there was no guarantee there would have been any interest at that price tag. Now that the Cubs have missed out, they're still likely looking for more infield help before Opening Day swings around. This also means any lingering hopes of poaching Nico Hoerner are likely out the window as the team can no longer afford to cede any additional major-league talent if they want to make the most out of their one year of Kyle Tucker.

With both Chicago teams either unwilling or unable to offer any assets of note, it looks like the Mariners will have to look outside of the Windy City for their next roster addition.