Over the past two winters, the Mariners have not been a major player in MLB free agency. They don’t plan to be this offseason, either. In November 2021, the Mariners signed left-hander Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115 million deal, the largest contract they’ve given to a free agent in the Jerry Dipoto era.
Last December, the Mariners signed Mitch Garver to a two-year, $24 million deal, the largest contract they’ve given to a free-agent hitter in the Dipoto era. Going into 2025, Mariners ownership has indicated that player payroll will increase from the year-end figure of roughly $145 million for the 2024 season. How much payroll will rise remains unclear, but it’s not expected to be a big jump.
After budgeting for significant salary bumps of arbitration-eligible players already on the roster, the front office is believed to have roughly $20-25 million left to spend in the free-agent market this winter. How might the Mariners spend that this offseason? Here’s a primer on the top names available in free agency, and five players who would fit the Mariners’ needs and their budget: Juan Soto, OF Last winter, the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes lived up to the billing as one of the most anticipated free-agency dramas in baseball history. A year later, the 26-year-old Soto hits the open market with just as much fascination and an asking price that could exceed the $700 million Ohtani landed from the Dodgers.
At that figure, only the game’s giants — the Yankees, the Mets and.
