Former Major League Baseball executive Jim Bowden wrote two distinctly interesting thoughts regarding the Seattle Mariners on Friday morning for The Athletic.

1) The Mariners have made it clear that first base is their top priority this offseason and re-signing Josh Naylor is their top choice to check that box, but they are prepared to pivot if that doesn’t work out.

And 2) The Mariners seem like the most logical fit for Munetaka Murakami at either infield corner, although the Yankees would be a good match, too, if they’re not leery of his defense and his swing-and-miss in the zone. Imagine how many homers he’d hit at Yankee Stadium.

Mariners general manager Justin Hollander has said multiple times already that bringing back Naylor is the priority, and he's doubled down by saying that he wants to bring back as many of Naylor, Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco as the team can this winter.

Naylor is the straw that stirs the offseason drink: He hits for power (20 homers), he hits for average (.295), he limits strikeouts, he steals bases (30), and he plays solid defense at first base. Furthermore, his leadership, toughness, and clubhouse presence are all impactful, and he resonates with the fans because of those qualities. 

A world does exist where the Mariners can have a good offseason without him, but given the likely cost of achieving that, it doesn't feel like we live in that world.

One of the more polarizing players this offseason, Murakami can play first or third base. He hits for immense power, but also strikes out a ton. The Mariners may be "logical" in that they have openings at first and third, but can they really afford another strikeout-prone home run hitter? Especially one who is going to be expensive?

MLBTradeRumors recently ranked him as the No. 4 free agent in this class, and they projected him for an eight-year, $180 million contract. Given that the Mariners seemingly have about $35 million to spend this offseason, it seems like he'll be well out of Seattle's price range.

The following came from that MLBTR write-up: 

Murakami is a two-time NPB MVP, but both of those MVPs are a few years old now, falling in 2022-23. He hasn’t performed at quite that dominant level since, and concerns about his strikeout rate have emerged. The 6’1″, 213-pound masher fanned in only 21% of his plate appearances from ’22-’23, but he’s gone down on strikes in 28.8% of his turns at the plate in the three seasons since (including 28.6% this season).

The M's will wait for the next chance to reconvene with the baseball world. That will be at the winter meetings in Orlando, which take place from Dec. 7-10.

LATEST PODCAST IS OUT: Brady Farkas is back for the the latest episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast! He talks about Cal Raleigh losing out on the MVP Award, the impact of his special season and much more, including if the Mariners are really being smart in saying they want to "run it back" in 2026. CLICK HERE: 

COMPETITION FOR POLO? Jorge Polanco is apparently garnering significant interest on the free agent front because of his perceived versatility. CLICK HERE: 

WILSON ON LOU: Dan Wilson spoke about the influence that Lou Piniella had on his managerial success this season. CLICK HERE: 

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