Seattle Mariners Offseason Rumors: Why I Love What Jerry Dipoto Said Recently

Earlier this week, Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said that the team wants to get back into the mix for Japanese free agents.

Per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times:

“There are a certain number of markets in MLB that are built out to invite players from the Asian leagues, and we’re one of them,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Tuesday at the MLB GM meetings. “I would love to get back into that market because we’ve been out for a while, but it hasn’t been due to a lack of effort.”

This year, there are several Japanese free agents that have been posted, including slugger Teruaki Sato, but it seems more likely that the team pursues Seiya Suzuki, who is a free agent after a successful five-year run with the Chicago Cubs.

If you've read me here or listened to me on the "Refuse to Lose Territory" podcast, you know how I feel about this topic. I also believe that the Mariners need to find a way back into the Japanese market, which is one they used to have cornered. I wrote as such on Nov. 1, not even two weeks ago.

Personally, I don't believe the Mariners will sign Sato - or Suzuki - but I'd be more than willing to be wrong on that. However, even hearing that the team is interested in getting back into Japan is a positive development.

After all, the Mariners haven't signed a Japanese free agent since Yusei Kikuchi, who they brought over before the 2019 season. That's almost a decade ago at this point. In that time, the Los Angeles Dodgers have dominated the market, signing Shohei Ohtani in free agency while also landing Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki from NPB. The Toronto Blue Jays have also gotten in the mix, landing Kazuma Okamoto, and they are in the mix for other Japanese players this offseason.

The Mariners previously signed Kaz Sasaki and Ichiro Suzuki, who both won the American League Rookie of the Year Award (2000-01). Of course, Ichiro won the MVP in 2001 and earned induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025. The team also had Kenji Johjima, Shigetoshi Hasegawa and Munenori Kawasaki, but those moves all go back at least 15 years.

Getting back into Japan would allow the Mariners to access more talent on the field, but it would also strengthen their international brand awareness and build up their business brand. And if that leads to more sponsorship dollars and more money, then it can unlock new opportunities here in free agency as well.

It can only be a good thing, and the M's have been absent from the market too long. Will they get back into it this year? I have my doubts, but at least they are thinking like I am on the matter.