Mariners will re-focus on their pursuit of free agent third baseman Eugenio Suarez
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With a couple of vacancies on infeld, the Mariners have begun to run out ofoptions when it comes to third base. After pursuing multiple trades and Japanese free agent, Munetuka Murakami (who signed with the White Sox this week), it looks like they may be circling back to a familiar face.
Acquired at the trade deadline, the team knew it would have to negotiate a multi-year deal with the third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who blasted 49 home runs last season, if they wanted to hold their division-winning nucleus together. The clock continues to tick on the Hot Stove League, and in a recent interview with MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM Radio, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said there’s “certainly a chance” Suarez could now return in 2026.
“We love Geno," Hollander said. "Geno brings a ton not just on the field… But off the field, his steady presence, great makeup, [and] what he brings to a clubhouse every day, it’s really hard to replicate. So we’ve maintained contact with Geno’s reps all winter long.”
If Suarez does return to the Mariners, he will likely be used more as a DH than as a regular third baseman. That would leave youngsters Cole Emerson and Ben Williamson to compete for the primary starting role at the hot corner, while still keeping the veteran's bat in the lineup.
The Cubs and A's have been mentioned as potential landing spots for the free agent, but it appears that his primary choice now may be to stay put in Seattle. At what price is unknown, as none of the negotiations or the terms have been made public.
