Mariners general manager Justin Hollander recently met with reporters to discuss possible late-offseason acquisitions for the team. Although Hollander expressed openness to various options, he hinted that the team would most likely focus on making supplementary additions to the roster.
Hollander stated, “You never know. I think this group of players that we have — our 40-man roster as is — we may add on the margins. We may add in a more significant way, but I would expect it’s probably more on the margins than a real significant way based on where we’re at.” (source)
Reports from a few days ago suggested that the Mariners have been considering the possibility of signing free agent Matt Chapman, who happens to be one of the top remaining unsigned players in the market. However, due to the constraints of the collective bargaining agreement, Hollander couldn’t comment on Chapman specifically. Nonetheless, conversations regarding the third baseman took place earlier in the month.
It appears that the Mariners’ interest in Chapman is conditional on him significantly lowering his asking price. The team seems reluctant to pursue a nine-figure deal for him, favoring the idea of a shorter-term contract with incentives. However, Chapman’s camp at the Boras Corporation has not shown interest in such an arrangement.
Currently, Seattle seems to have a relative weakness at the third base position. They traded Eugenio Suárez to the Diamondbacks during the offseason and acquired Luis Urías in a trade with the Red Sox to provide some depth. They also indirectly addressed the position with the acquisition of Jorge Polanco. However, with Polanco mainly playing second base, it is likely that Josh Rojas and Urías will platoon at third base.
Unfortunately, Urías is dealing with some soreness in his throwing shoulder coming out of winter ball, although it is not considered a serious issue. This will restrict his participation in infield drills early in Spring Training.
Despite concerns about the third base platoon, Hollander downplayed any vulnerability at the position, expressing confidence in the combination of Josh and Luis for the upcoming season.
In addition to the potential interest in Matt Chapman, the Mariners have been loosely connected to free agents Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger. The link to Snell seems to be primarily due to his connection to the region as a native of Seattle. There has been speculation that Snell may prefer to stay on the West Coast after spending the last three seasons with the San Diego Padres.
However, according to reports, the Mariners have not shown significant interest in Snell throughout the winter. While they traded Robbie Ray and Marco Gonzales, they have held onto their top five starters, including George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo. Emerson Hancock, a former top 10 pick, remains on the roster as a high-upside depth piece.
In the case of Cody Bellinger, who could potentially be a better fit for the team, the Mariners have reportedly not considered him in the past two offseasons. With the acquisitions of Mitch Haniger and Luke Raley, Seattle has reshaped their corner outfield, leaving Haniger and Raley as the expected starters alongside Julio Rodríguez.
Under the leadership of Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners have generally favored trades over free agency, especially when it comes to position players. However, this offseason, the team broke that pattern by signing Mitch Garver to a two-year, $24 million deal, marking the first multi-year free agent contract for a hitter during Dipoto’s tenure.
Looking at the team’s projected player spending for 2024, it falls within the middle range at approximately $135 million. This figure is similar to last year’s Opening Day payroll of around $137 million, suggesting the team’s financial position remains relatively stable.
Overall, the Mariners’ approach to late-offseason acquisitions appears to be focused on shoring up the roster with supplementary additions. While there have been rumors and discussions regarding notable free agents like Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, and Cody Bellinger, the team’s level of interest seems to vary for each player. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if the Mariners make any significant moves to bolster their roster further.