Mariners Might Retain $66 Million Free Agent Slugger After All

The Seattle Mariners are in a bit of a tough spot this offseason.

After adding to the roster in a big way at the trade deadline, they fell short of the World Series title. Jorge Polanco quickly left Seattle and signed a deal with the New York Mets.

Although they re-signed Josh Naylor to a huge deal, slugger Eugenio Suárez remains a free agent, as of Thursday. The Mariners need to do everything in their power to retain or replace Suárez, but many outlets have predicted Suárez to leave town.

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Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly suggested the Mariners could look to reunite with Suárez, as they'd be the perfect fit for him, but there are other suitors in the sweepstakes.

Mariners make a lot of sense as a landing spot for Eugenio Suárez

Seattle Mariners infielder Eugenio Suáre — Oct 17, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) hits a grand slam against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning during game five of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

"On one hand, Suárez's offensive numbers fell off a cliff after he was traded from Arizona to Seattle, and 'Geno' has hit just .211 with a .717 OPS at T-Mobile Park in his career," Kelly wrote. "On the other hand, there's clearly a mutual respect between Suárez and the Mariners, with the organization not closing the door on a potential return to date.

"The most likely scenario is that after his second stint with the M's, Suárez opts to sign in greener hitting pastures. But as more seats fill up and the music starts to slow down, perhaps him returning to the Mariners is more a realistic idea than we've given it credit for."

The Mariners haven't been linked as closely to Suárez as many might have expected. Instead, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Angels have been closely linked to the slugger.

But at this point, it doesn't seem like he's going to sign a big contract. Suárez is likely headed for less than $50 million in total value, which would fit the Mariners perfectly.

Seattle needs to push all its chips into the middle of the table and attempt to run it back with the slugger. Suárez is one of the premier power hitters in the league. If the Mariners can retain him, they'd be in a better spot than they are right now.

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