The Seattle Mariners announced this week that they will celebrate their 50th season all season long in 2026. In that regard, the M's will wear a 50th season patch on their uniforms and they will have season-long promotions that reflect the history of the organization.

Furthermore, the Mariners will reveal their 50 greatest players at a ceremony in August. Randy Johnson's No. 51 will get retired in May.

And as fun as all that will be, the season has a chance to do something even deeper: Heal real wounds when it comes to Alex Rodriguez and Kyle Seager.

Rodriguez is a deserving member of the Mariners Hall of Fame, but he's never been inducted because of the way he left the organization after the 2000 season. 

He's been kind to the Mariners on national broadcasts and has spoken well of his time in Seattle, though he doesn't do it often enough for some people. It seems like the mending of fences has already started, albeit lukewarmly, and this season is the perfect chance to break the door down completely.

As discussed on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose' podcast:

I think that the 2026 season is going to be the best chance ever to put a major dent in the Alex Rodriguez frustrations. I spent a lot of time 2 weeks ago talking to my friends over at the Marine Layer (podcast) about A-Rod and about the feelings about A-Rod.

This, this is the chance that both the organization and A-Rod have to come together, right? This family reunion setting, this family reunion season, of which A-Rod is going to be a part of. He is going to be a part of the top 50 Mariners of all-time. They are going to have to welcome him back in a non-broadcasting capacity, and this is going to be a chance for the fans to forgive him. It's going to be a chance for the organization to forgive him. It's going to be a chance for him to speak more openly again to the organization and to the fans in a big, kind of, welcoming setting. This is going to be the best opportunity A-Rod has to mend fences, and it's going be the best opportunity the Mariners have to mend fences with him.

A future member of the Mariners Hall of Fame, Seager manned third base for 11 years, winning a Gold Glove, making an All-Star team, and belting 242 home runs.

It's documented that he doesn't get along with Jerry Dipoto and he hasn't been around since his retirement following 2021. This season will give him a chance to see how revered he is by fans everywhere.

Here's to hoping that he takes it.

Also from the podcast:

...while Robinson Cano was really liked and Nelson Cruz was really beloved, these guys were here for 4 or 5 years, and they weren't homegrown players. They were outsiders. They were hired help. And that's fine. Those players can be beloved too, but Kyle Seager was a homegrown player and a homegrown player will always mean more.

LATEST PODCAST IS OUT: Brady Farkas is back for the the latest episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast! He covers more on Josh Naylor's press conference, the latest on Colt Emerson's Opening Day chances and more. 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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