Seattle Mariners Free Agency: Mariners Intend to Pursue Top Available Outfielder

The Seattle Mariners are all but certain not to make attempts to re-sign 2026 All-Star Randy Arozarena, who will likely be the most sought-after bat in free agency.

However, the Mariners do seem to be interested in the pursuit of another player who'll likely command similar attention as Arozarena.

According to an article from Seattle Times reporters Adam Jude and Ryan Divish, Seattle intends to pursue free agent outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who's expected to be a free agent after spending five seasons with the Chicago Cubs.

Arozarena and Suzuki were both extended qualifying offers by their respective teams and are expected to decline them.

Both Arozarena and Suzuki are coming off their best seasons in the major leagues. Arozarena slashed .281/.381/.484 with an .865 OPS in 154 games and hit 34 doubles, two triples and 26 home runs with 79 RBIs and stole 26 bases in 34 attempts.

Suzuki slashed .270/.368/.473 with an .841 OPS in 143 games and hit 31 doubles, a triple and 26 homers with 86 RBIs.

Seattle is estimated to have $30-35 million available in roster payroll. Arozarena spent the majority of the first half of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays and trains in the offseason in Miami, and it's assumed he would like to return to the east coast.

A potential acquisition of Suzuki would be something of a full circle moment for the Mariners and allow the team to get back into a market the organization used to frequent.

Seattle originally tried to sign Suzuki when he was originally posted by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball before the 2021 season. Former Mariners outfielder and National Baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, who remains around the team, joined the team's pitch.

Suzuki opted to sign with Chicago instead. Ichiro Suzuki is expected to be involved with the M's' pitch again, per Jude's reporting.

The Mariners were once a common player in scouting and signing Japanese players, but the last player on the roster from Japan was starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi in 2021.

There are three players posted from NPB currently available: right-handed starting pitcher Hiromi Itoh, right-handed starter/closer Kaima Taira and third baseman/corner outfielder Teruaki Sato. The M's aren't expected to pursue any of the three, per Jude's article, which would make Suzuki the likeliest opportunity for the team to get back into the Japanese market.

Both Suzuki and Arozarena are corner outfielders, with the former playing primarily in left field and the latter in right. Suzuki does have 133.2 innings logged in left in his career, however.

Between the two, Suzuki is considered the better defender. He had five outs above average in 2026, which ranked in the 89th percentile of baseball, per Baseball Savant. He had 14 defensive runs saved, which ranked second in the major leagues and first in the National League among right fielders.

Arozarena had -5 outs above average, which ranked in the 13th percentile of baseball, and -2 defensive runs saved, which ranked towards the bottom of the major leagues among left fielders.

Suzuki has a market value of four years, $109.96 million ($27.5 million AAV), per Spotrac. Arozarena has a market value of roughly five years, $127 million ($25.4 million AAV) per the same website.