The Seattle Mariners wasted no time addressing their biggest offseason priority, securing first baseman with a new five-year contract.
Locking him in early allows the Mariners to shift their attention to filling out the rest of the 2026 roster. Speaking Tuesday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, general manager Justin Hollander outlined the team’s next areas of focus now that the Naylor deal is complete.
At the top of that list are two players the Mariners hope to bring back: switch-hitting second baseman/DH Jorge Polanco and power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
“We’d like to add another bat, at least one if possible,” Hollander said. “We’ve been pretty open about wanting to reunite with Jorge Polanco and Geno Suárez. If we can make that happen, that would be fantastic.”
Polanco, 32, became a free agent after turning down a $7 million player option for 2026—a figure he easily surpassed with his performance last year. He hit .265 with 26 homers, 30 doubles, and an .821 OPS across 138 games, and delivered several key playoff moments, including a walk-off RBI single against the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS.
Suárez, 34, returned to Seattle as a trade-deadline rental from the Diamondbacks and matched his career high with 49 home runs over 159 games between Arizona and Seattle. Although he batted just .189 in 53 regular-season games for the Mariners, he came through in the postseason, most notably with a go-ahead grand slam in Game 5 of the ALCS that pushed Seattle to the brink of a World Series berth.
Hollander also emphasized that strengthening the pitching staff—especially the bullpen—is a major offseason goal.
“We need more pitching depth, particularly in the bullpen,” he said. “We relied heavily on our high-leverage relievers late in the year, and adding another arm to that group is extremely important.”
He noted that the Mariners have several paths to improve their depth. One could be younger arms like newly acquired minor league lefty Robinson Ortiz. Other options include adding high-leverage relievers through free agency or trades, or acquiring starting pitchers with minor league options to help safeguard against the injuries that plagued them last season.