Mariners Seen as Strong Potential Fit for Rays' All-Star Slugger

Which slugger from the Tampa Bay Rays makes sense for the Seattle Mariners?

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. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

With the winter meetings just days away, the Tampa Bay Rays are going to be very busy figuring out what’s next for the franchise. 

So far this offseason, the Rays have been relatively active, especially of late, with a couple of moves. This was a team that had a few needs coming into the winter, and one of them was recently addressed. 

In the outfield, the team has signed both Jake Fraley and Cedric Mullins to hopefully improve the unit's offensive production. The outfield for Tampa Bay was an issue in 2025, with the inability to be positive contributors offensively, and the hope will be that both Fraley and Mullins fix that. 

While it was good to see the team make some upgrades for the outfield, this is a franchise that also has a couple of veterans whom they might elect to trade. There has been no shortage of rumors as expected during the offseason, and it will be interesting to see what the plan will be for the Rays. 

Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan recently wrote about a couple of potential fits for Rays slugger Brandon Lowe, who was deemed one of the best trade candidates heading into the winter meetings. One place that was mentioned was the Seattle Mariners. 

Mariners Seeking Improved Offense

Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

It was a strong campaign for the Mariners in 2025, and they went toe-to-toe with the Toronto Blue Jays in a great ALCS. Now, Seattle is seeking to improve this winter as well and go even further in 2026. With a strong pitching staff, the team appears to be focused on improving their offense. 

So far, they have already been able to re-sign Josh Naylor, which was a top priority, but the team will be seeking to add more. In terms of second basemen, Lowe is arguably one of the best offensive players at the position in the league when healthy. Last year, he slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs and 83 RBI. 

While the Mariners would undoubtedly like that type of power in their lineup, it would likely be costly. Tampa Bay doesn’t have a natural fit to replace that type of production currently, and if they traded Lowe, it could result in top prospect Carson Williams potentially flipping over to second base. 

The Rays are notorious for trading veterans on expiring contracts, no matter the situation, and Lowe figures to be able to bring back a strong return. Overall, while it might hurt in the short-term, it could be what’s best long-term for the franchise.