Randy Arozarena is under contract for more than $15 million in 2026 while George Kirby will make nearly $6.55 million.
The Seattle Mariners struck a deal with outfielder Randy Arozarena on Thursday, avoiding arbitration. They did the same with starting pitcher George Kirby.
According to Francys Romero, Arozarena and the M's came to an agreement at $15.65 million for 2026. At the conclusion of 2026, Arozarena will become a free agent.
Robert Murray of Fansided says that Kirby's deal is worth $6.55 million. He's under control through 2028.
Arozarena deal a potential win for both sides
Making nearly $16 million is nothing to sneeze at for Arozarena, and that's certainly a good chunk of change for a player who signed his first professional contract with the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2016.
However, MLBTradeRumors, who is notoriously good at these arbitration projections, estimated that Arozarena would make just over $18 million in arbitration. The more than $2 million in savings between the actual deal and the projection could be significant, perhaps giving the Mariners some more room to make a trade or to sign another necessary roster piece.
About Arozarena
Now 30 years old, Arozarena will turn 31 in February. A seven-year veteran of the Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays and Mariners, he turned in a solid, but streaky, 2025. He hit .238 for the entirety of the campaign, popping 27 home runs and driving in 76. He ended the year in the leadoff slot, tamping down his RBI chances, but he also showed value on the bases, stealing 31 bags. He posted an OPS+ of 119 and made the All-Star Game for the second time.
Heading into 2026, he figures to remain as the M's primary left fielder, though he could see some time at designated hitter given the Mariners glut of outfielders including Victor Robles, Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone.
There is also the chance that the M's could still acquire Brendan Donovan, who has experience in left field.
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On the Kirby front
MLBTradeRumors predicted Kirby to get $5.4 million in arbitration, so the $6.55 is a bump up from that. If the Arozarena savings are going to help in the way that we hope, the M's will have to come to another under-projection agreement with one of their other arbitration-eligible players to keep the savings.
Those other arb-eligible players include Logan Gilbert, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash, Luke Raley, Bryce Miller and Jackson Kowar.
About Kirby
A four-year veteran of the M's, Kirby is 45-34 lifetime with a 3.58 ERA. An All-Star in 2023, he's got three straight seasons of double-digit victories, though 2025 was his most frustrating campaign yet. He missed nearly two months with a shoulder injury and then finished the year at 10-8 with a 4.21 ERA. His FIP of 3.37 suggests he had some bad luck, and he'll look for more positive regression in 2026.
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