The Seattle Mariners experienced a few setbacks during the 2026 offseason, parting ways with infielders Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez. While they managed to replace one of those losses by acquiring Brendan Donovan, the team still hasn’t fully made up for the other missing bat in their lineup.
Chris Landers of FanSided believes Seattle should look beyond the infield and instead address the final outfield position alongside Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodríguez. He suggests the Mariners consider a trade with the Boston Red Sox to acquire Masataka Yoshida, who has been putting together an impressive performance in the 2026 World Baseball Classic and could bring that same production to Seattle.
“The Mariners took a big step toward fixing their infield by adding Brendan Donovan, but I’m not completely convinced this lineup stacks up with the American League’s top contenders,” Landers wrote. “Both the designated hitter spot and the third outfield role next to Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena could still use improvement. Right now, Seattle appears set to rotate Luke Raley, Victor Robles, Dominic Canzone, and Rob Refsnyder depending on pitching matchups. Aside from perhaps Canzone, none of those options inspire much confidence, and Yoshida would provide another reliable hitter to an offense that could certainly use one.”
During his time with Boston, Yoshida has posted a .282/.337/.425 slash line with an .762 OPS, collecting 65 doubles, 29 home runs, and 154 RBIs across 303 games. His ability to consistently reach base and drive in runs could be a strong fit for a Mariners offense that has struggled with consistency.
Yoshida is currently entering the fourth season of his five-year, $90 million contract. If Seattle and Boston could reach an agreement that involves the Red Sox absorbing part of the remaining salary, the move could become an appealing option for the Mariners.
Seattle may want to move quickly if they’re interested, however. Other teams in need of offensive help are also watching the World Baseball Classic closely and could come away with the same idea.