On Friday, the Seattle Mariners elected to non-tender three players: Trent Thornton, Gregory Santos and Tayler Saucedo. On the flip side, they issued a contract to Luke Raley, which surprised some people.

Let's examine the situation at hand, and this is just a reminder: Just because a player was issued a contract, it doesn't mean they will definitely make it to Opening Day on the roster.

The Raley file

Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2024 season, Raley turned in a very solid season for Seattle that year, hitting .243 with 22 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 137 games.

It wasn't the same this year, as Raley battled multiple trips to the injured list, hitting .202 with four home runs. He was relegated to a complete bench role upon his final return and was left off the American League Championship Series roster entirely.

He's 31 years old and under contract through 2028. Known as a good clubhouse guy, he has power, runs well and is a suitable outfield defender. He's projected to make $1.8 million.

The case for keeping him

Outside of his power, speed and outfield versatility, I outlined the case for keeping him around on the latest Refuse to Lose podcast:

"...because (Josh) Naylor's back, they no longer need him at first. And they have three outfielders to start in Arozarena, Julio, and Robles. Now, bonus points that Luke Raley is left-handed and could potentially platoon with Robles, but there's also Dom Canzone to do the exact same thing. Canzone is younger, Canzone is cheaper, he's not as good a defender and he doesn't run as well, but because he's younger and cheaper, I think he's a guy you would keep over Luke Raley.

At the moment, the designated hitter spot is open because (Jorge) Polanco isn't here, so I guess there's a world where Canzone is the DH and Raley is the fourth outfielder. I would keep Luke Raley at this point because of the scenario I just said. Polanco is not here so Canzone and Raley operate as a DH and a platoon partner for Victor Robles tandem. That's what I would do, and if you bring back Polanco, and you want to trade Raley at one point, or trade Canzone at one point, I could understand that."

You can listen to the full episode below:

Naylor Press Conference + Mending of Fences in 2026 + Emerson on Opening Day? Refuse to Lose - a Seattle Mariners Podcast · Episode

The case against

It basically comes down to everything I said above: There is a positional redundancy with Raley and Canzone. If the team is able to go out and bring back Polanco, or acquire another DH type, then they likely don't need both players.

Related Mariners Stories

LATEST PODCAST IS OUT: Brady Farkas is back for the the latest episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast! He covers the Josh Naylor news from every angle including the message it sends to the clubhouse and fanbase. Also, what's next for Seattle? LISTEN HERE:

COLT TIME in 2026? According to a new report from Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, Colt Emerson could win the starting third base job in 2026. Here's the positive - and negative - of that. CLICK HERE: 

HOW ABOUT COLE? If Colt Emerson could also win the starting 2B job, what does that mean for Cole Young? CLICK HERE: 

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