Mariners Making One Of Easiest $7M Decisions You Will See

The Seattle Mariners made a good decision...

May 12, 2018; Detroit, MI, USA; Hat and glove of Seattle Mariners center fielder Dee Gordon (9) sits in dugout during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It's going to be a long offseason full of decisions for the Seattle Mariners and they reportedly got an easy one out of the way on Tuesday.

MLB.com's Daniel Kramer reported that the Mariners are picking up two-time All-Star Andrés Muñoz's $7 million option for the 2026 season. Kramer also noted that the Mariners were still waiting on Jorge Polanco for his player option at the time.

"Source: Andrés Muñoz has had his $7 million club option for 2026 exercised by the Mariners," Kramer reported. "Separately, they are still awaiting a decision from Jorge Polanco on his $6 million player option but are bracing for the likelihood that he will decline and become a free agent."

What a contract for Seattle

Oct 17, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Andres Munoz (75) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth 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

This is the type of move that makes perfect sense. Muñoz has been an All-Star in each of the last two seasons as Seattle's closer. He had his best season of his career in 2025 with a 1.73 ERA and a career-high 38 saves in 64 total appearances. To have a player as lethal as he is at the end of games at just $7 million, is a steal.

For example, Spotrac has Muñoz's projected market value as just over $82 million across five years, so an annual value of north of $16 million. Instead, the Mariners have him on a $7 million deal for the 2026 season, but that's not all. The Mariners have an $8 million club option with him for the 2027 season and a $10 million club option for 2028 as well.

Fortunately, the Mariners seemingly don't have to worry about the closer position for a while, barring some sort of injury or trade or something of that nature. Muñoz is just 26 years old and clearly looks like he can be a part of this team for a long time to come.

As the offseason progresses, the Mariners are going to have to make other decisions -- like whether it can re-sign Josh Naylor -- but fortunately, they have this easy one to get out of the way quickly.

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