Mariners Star Projected For $45M Deal After Explosive 49-HR Season

The Seattle Mariners were rightfully aggressive ahead of the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline and it is part of the reason why they made it all the way to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

Seattle gambled ahead of the trade deadline with additions, Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor, to help down the stretch, although they have uncertain futures. Both are free agents right now and it's unclear if either will be back. Naylor has gotten most of the buzz for the team, but Suárez is an impactful player in his own right.

He slugged 49 homers and drove in 118 runs overall in 2025 across 159 games played. That isn't common. There were just four players with more homers than Suárez in 2025. Seattle was smart to bring him to town and if the price is right, it could make sense to extend the partnership into 2026. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel dropped a column in which he projected the contracts for the top 50 players heading to free agency and his price for Suárez is worth Seattle's attention.

"Projected contract: 2 years, $45 million ($22.5M AAV)," McDaniel said. "Suarez has been an unsung but hugely productive slugger over the years: He's sixth in baseball in home runs (261) since 2018, ahead of Juan Soto, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. He has played third base almost exclusively for the past three seasons, but his defensive metrics have regressed, going from plus-8 runs to plus-3 to minus-3 in that span.

The Mariners should keep an eye on Eugenio Suárez

Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) throws out Toronto Blue Jays right fielder George Springer (4) at first base in the second inning during game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

"Even though he has been very productive, there's a ceiling -- both financially and in terms of WAR -- when projecting a right-handed-hitting future first baseman who's 34 years old. Suarez has posted 3.5 to 4.3 WAR each of the past four seasons, but the league sees regression coming and is paying only for the future; this projection leans into that."

MLB.com's Daniel Kramer said that the Mariners are going to have more money to spend this offseason than in recent years and projected that number to be between $30 and $35 million.

A $22.5 million annual average may be high, especially if Kramer's projection proves to be accurate. But, if the Mariners are unable to retain Naylor or Jorge Polanco, handing a short-term deal to Suárez could be a way to keep the offense rolling into 2026.

At the very least, the Mariners should be keeping a close eye on Suárez's market to see if there's a way to keep the partnership going on a new deal.

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