Do Seattle Mariners Need to Make Any Moves For Corner Outfield Spots?

The biggest (presumed) potential loss for the Seattle Mariners in free agency will be left fielder Randy Arozarena.

Arozarena is coming off arguably the best season of his seven-year major league career. He finished 2026 with a slash line of .281/.381/.484 with an .865 OPS. He also hit 34 doubles, two triples and 26 home runs with 79 RBIs in 156 games. He stole 26 bases in 34 attempts and made his second-straight All-Star game, and third in four years.

The 31-year-old will likely be the best hitter available on the free agent market and it's unlikely the Mariners will meet the asking price of other teams with deeper pockets interested in his services. However, the team will have the option of extending a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer for Arozarena. They are likely to do that, and he's likely to decline.

Arozarena's likely departure will leave left field as a position the team will need to fill in the offseason. However, with $30-35 million projected to be available in the payroll, the team might be better suited to go in-house to solve that position.

Utility player Brendan Donovan and top 100 prospect Michael Arroyo are both capable of playing the position, but both players have their share of questions.

Donovan was limited to 39 games last season due to two injured list stints: Once for a left groin strain and another for a concussion. Arroyo received his major league call-up Sept. 6 and played just 15 games before the season concluded.

Due to Donovan's recent injury concerns, the M's might opt for a true utility role for the 2025 All-Star and have Arroyo take the majority of the reps in left field.

A proven player would be ideal, but if Donovan is used in a utility role, then a true third base starter will be a more ideal target with J.P. Crawford's pending free agency rather than a true left fielder.

Right field is also a question, but moreso due to how the team has handled the position in recent seasons.

Seattle has attempted to rely on platoons in right field and designated hitter for the last two seasons. Dominic Canzone, Taylor Ward, Leody Taveras, Victor Robles, Rob Refsnyder and Lazaro Montes are among the ones who've played in right field, designated hitter or both in that stretch.

Canzone was platooned with Refsnyder at both right field and designated hitter spots this season. But amidst a career-worst stretch and subsequent retirement from the latter, the former earned his way into everyday opportunities.

Canzone posted a career-best campaign in 2026. He slashed .264/.336/.484 with an .820 OPS and hit 28 doubles, four triples and 23 homers with 77 RBIs in 146 games.

Barring anything unexpected, Canzone will likely enter the 2027 season as the team's entrenched starter in right field. He'll likely split time at the position and at DH with Lazaro Montes, another top 100 prospect who was called up in September.

The 21-year-old outfielder slashed .212/.305/.481 with a .786 OPS in 21 games and hit two doubles and four home runs with 11 RBIs.

The options at the corners aren't ideal for the M's: one player coming off an injury, two prospects and another player with one year of full-season high-caliber play under his belt.

With third base and the bullpen being a higher priority for the Mariners with a limited budget, and just a month to make any moves before the MLB and MLB Players Association's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires, the team will likely have to work with what it already has for the outfield.