After getting to the American League Championship Series this season, the M's have work to do if they want to get back in 2026.
After getting to the American League Championship Series in 2025, the Seattle Mariners have real work to do if they want to get back in 2026.
And not only do they have real roster work to do in order to get back, they have to operate with a real sense of urgency, because the clock is (somewhat) ticking on this round of their competitive window.
In fact, MLB Network labeled the Mariners as a "high-pressure" team heading into the offseason (full video in player above).
Why did they say that? Let's examine.
The obvious offensive issues
As of this moment, Jorge Polanco, Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez are all free agents, meaning the Mariners need to re-sign or replace a good portion of the middle of their order.
If Seattle is unable to do that, then they'll be looking at a loss of potentially 80-ish home runs next season. That trio could also certainly bring in more than 200 runs in total. Those are potentially devastating losses for a Seattle team with World Series aspirations.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (7) hits a walk off single against the Detroit Tigers during the fifteenth inning during game five of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. Steven Bisig-Imagn ImagesThe less-obvious offensive issues
While it's certainly possible that some young players like Cole Young and Dominic Canzone improve upon their 2025 numbers, it's also possible that some players regress. Can Cal Raleigh be counted on to hit 60 home runs again next season? How different is the offense if he hits merely 40?
Can Randy Arozarena be counted on to hit 27 homers and steal 31 bases? What happens to the offense if he goes 20-20 instead? These regression possibilities are real, and the M's need to account for them.
Cost-controlled pitching
Logan Gilbert (2027), George Kirby (2028), Bryan Woo (2029) and Bryce Miller (2029) are all under team control through league minimum deals or arbitration deals, but that won't last forever. As noted in the video above, they will be faced with real decisions soon about who to pay and who to let walk. Furthermore, as those salary numbers get bigger, what can be done around the rest of the roster will be more limited.
The time to strike is now, as is the time to capitalize.
We'll have more on this on the Refuse to Lose podcast, which releases a full episode again on Friday, Nov. 8.
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