The Seattle Mariners followed up an AL West division crown and an AL Championship Series (ALCS) berth in 2025 with a campaign of disappointment this summer. Injuries and a roster that regressed almost across the board led to a third-place division finish in September. Now, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and his staff face a critical offseason. According to ESPN insider Buster Olney, Seattle has already “poked around” in the trade market in an effort to improve their atrocious offense.

“I've heard Seattle is poking around to assess how its surplus in pitching might be used to add a bat,” Olney reported. “But generally, teams are going to be very wary of making trades without being able to attach appropriate value to the players proposed in deals — and no one will be able to do that with confidence until they know what the financial system looks like.”

With a lockout likely to happen starting December 1st, Dipoto and his staff have their work cut out for them. Luckily, the Mariners do indeed have a surplus in starting pitching. Even after trading veteran Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline in August, Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander have a full starting staff, with even more arms waiting in the wings. So, a trade with any number of teams could happen before the start of next month.

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Left fielder Randy Arozarena could leave in free agency, leaving the Mariners with even less firepower in the lineup. Catcher Cal Raleigh followed up his record-breaking 2025 campaign with just 23 home runs and a .182 batting average in just 126 games played. Centerfielder Julio Rodriguez, one of the league's brightest young stars, hit just .247 with 22 home runs in 150 games played. Seattle could use upgrades basically everywhere else in the lineup; Will Dipoto and Hollander elect to deal some of their starters to improve the lineup? The answer to that question could come along sooner than the rest of the league expects.