The Seattle Mariners are stuck in a frustrating cycle that has players and fans alike scratching their heads.
After winning 85 games last season, the Mariners missed the playoffs by just one game. It was their second straight year watching October baseball from home after finally breaking their 20-year postseason drought in 2022.
What did they do to fix the problem this offseason? Not much.
They signed Donovan Solano and brought back Jorge Polanco. That’s pretty much it.
Sure, there were plenty of rumors. The team supposedly explored options for a power-hitting first baseman. There was talk about potentially trading ace Luis Castillo. They even considered bringing back Justin Turner, who finished last season with the team before ultimately signing with the Chicago Cubs.
Turner didn’t hold back when explaining why he didn’t return to Seattle. He told USA Today:
“The fact that they missed the playoffs by one game, and didn’t go out and add an impact bat or two when you have the best pitching staff in baseball just seems absurd to me.”
He wasn’t done there.
“Honestly, as much as I wanted to be back there,” Turner continued, “if I was the only piece they brought back in, I would be saying the same thing: What the hell are we doing? Are you trying?”
“There’s not going to a better time to go for it. So, I don’t know what they’re doing. I’m very confused. It’s a head-scratcher for me.”
When a Mariners player was asked if Turner was wrong, they told the Seattle Times: “not one bit.”
This isn’t the first time someone in the organization has called out ownership. After the 2023 season, catcher Cal Raleigh bluntly stated that the team has “got to commit to winning.”
The numbers tell the story. Seattle’s projected Opening Day payroll sits at $144.4 million – only slightly up from $137.5 million in 2023 and $139.6 million in 2024. It’s actually lower than their 2017 payroll of $154.3 million.
Most of that small increase comes from paying arbitration raises to Raleigh, Logan Gilbert, and other existing players – not from adding new talent.
The team has pointed to uncertainty about the future of Root Sports (their TV partner) as a reason for keeping payroll flat. But that excuse doesn’t hold much water when you look at the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arizona faces similar TV revenue challenges, yet they’ve nearly doubled their payroll in just three years – from $90.6 million in 2022 to $179.9 million in 2025. They even signed star pitcher Corbin Burnes this offseason.
Right now, analytics sites give the Mariners about a 57-58% chance of making the playoffs. They’re right on the bubble.
That’s what makes their inaction so puzzling. Every additional win they could add through signing better players would dramatically improve their odds of reaching October – and the playoff revenue that comes with it.
The Mariners currently boast what might be baseball’s best starting rotation with Castillo, Gilbert, George Kirby and others. But as any baseball fan knows, pitcher health is unpredictable. There’s no guarantee this group will still be healthy and effective in 2026.
As Turner put it, now is the time to go all-in. Instead, the Mariners seem content to roll the dice with basically the same team that fell just short last year.
