The Seattle Mariners were my World Series pick entering the year — that's how good I thought they'd be. Even if others weren't quite as high on them, there was every reason to believe this team could run away with a weak AL West. But that never came close to happening; in fact, just a year after making it to Game 7 of the ALCS, the Mariners will finish the 2026 campaign with a losing record and will miss the playoffs despite the American League being as weak as it's been at any point in recent memory.
Given how poorly this season went, major changes must be made to get this Mariners team back on track. Those changes begin with letting certain individuals depart after the year, starting with the most obvious one of all: manager Dan Wilson.
Manager Dan Wilson
Blaming the manager for things that have gone awry is often the easy way out, but what else can we do? On paper, the Mariners have one of the most loaded rosters in the sport, yet it feels like just about everyone has underperformed. Sure, a lot of the blame should be placed on the likes of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, George Kirby and others who didn't do their jobs, but if everyone is failing to live up to expectations, there has to be something else going on, no?
Even if not, Wilson's lineup and bullpen management have been highly suspect dating back to his refusal to use Andres Munoz in the biggest moment of last year's ALCS decider. Wilson isn't the only reason why the Mariners are where they are, but he certainly hasn't helped them either. Again, major changes must be made, and the easiest move to start with would be letting Wilson go.
OF Taylor Ward
One move the Mariners tried to make to jumpstart their offense was trading for Taylor Ward, who, despite a down year in the power department, had an impressive .383 on-base percentage with the Baltimore Orioles prior to the trade deadline. Ward was drawing tons of walks and was essentially brought in as a table-setter for the likes of Randy Arozarena and Dominic Canzone. Unfortunately, Ward has been one of the worst hitters in the sport since the trade, going 9-for-85 (.106 BA) with one extra-base hit and no home runs. Ward's 15 wRC+ since the deadline ranks 269th out of 270 position players with at least 90 plate appearances in that span.
It's honestly a bit surprising that Ward hasn't been DFA'd to this point, but given the fact that he's a free agent after the year, it'd be stunning if Seattle even considered bringing him back. Sometimes, fits just don't work out as hoped, and this is one of those examples.
OF Victor Robles
Speaking of disappointing right-handed outfielders, what about Victor Robles? Not too long ago the Mariners had seemingly unlocked the best in Robles, who was one of their best players down the stretch of the 2024 campaign, but 2025 was a lost year for him, and 2026 went just as poorly.
Robles is slashing .256/.315/.308 with zero home runs in 65 games. Despite receiving 149 plate appearances, he has a grand total of five extra-base hits. Robles is still a decent defensive outfielder and offers a lot of speed, but he has a sub-.700 OPS against lefties and just hasn't hit enough to justify keeping around, even with one more year of club control.
SS/3B J.P. Crawford
J.P. Crawford is wrapping up his eighth season with the Mariners, and he's been a linchpin at the top of their lineup for most of those years. Crawford has always drawn a ton of walks, and his 13.3 percent walk rate this season places him in the 93rd percentile according to Baseball Savant. Unfortunately, Crawford doesn't hit for a very high average, doesn't hit for much power, doesn't offer much speed and is arguably the worst defensive shortstop in the sport.
For those reasons, is he really worth bringing back? Colt Emerson did struggle in his first taste of big-league action, but he was considered one of the best prospects in the sport and received a hefty pre-debut extension from the Mariners for a reason. He should be the shortstop on Opening Day 2027, and while Crawford could technically slide over to the hot corner, the team would benefit from finding an offensive upgrade at that position. Crawford was a great Mariner, but letting him walk in free agency feels like an easy choice.
RHP Bryce Miller
The Mariners considered trading either Bryce Miller or George Kirby at the trade deadline in their pursuit of adding a big bat to their lineup, and while they wound up settling on a rather Luis Castillo deal instead, there's no reason to believe talks won't heat up again this winter. At the end of the day, Seattle needs a game-changing bat, and they have a ton of pitching to offer up.
Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo, their best starters, should be untouchable. The same goes for top prospect Kade Anderson. Kirby could get dealt, but his impeccable command makes him hard to part with. The Mariners could trade a Minor Leaguer like Ryan Sloan, but his upside is so massive that they'd probably shy away from doing so. That makes Miller, a pitcher with three more years of cheap club control and a very high ceiling, the likeliest choice to go. The Mariners shouldn't want to trade Miller, but given the free agent market's lack of high-end options and their starting pitching depth, a Miller trade for a middle-of-the-order bat makes too much sense.
OF Randy Arozarena
Randy Arozarena is one of the few Mariners players who actually surpassed expectations this season. He's slashing .279/.379/.480 with 26 home runs, 76 RBI and 24 stolen bases entering Wednesday's action. He's even scored an AL-leading 106 runs, which, given Seattle's brutal offense behind him, is pretty impressive. He's a player the Mariners should want back, but will he actually be back?
Arozarena is set to hit the open market this offseason, and with the kind of year he's had, he might be the best position player on the market. That reality will likely result in Arozarena receiving a ton of interest on the open market, and are we sure the Mariners will be outbidding teams in major markets? Letting Arozarena go would be an incredibly disappointing outcome, but the likely one nonetheless. The trade market is likely where they'll pursue their big bat.
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