The Seattle Mariners made it to Game 7 of the ALCS a year ago and were just a few outs from the World Series, which would’ve been the first such appearance in franchise history.
There was no such magic in 2026. These Mariners struggled most of the year and will be watching October baseball from home.
That downfall could lead to some serious changes in the offseason — that is, if a pending lockout doesn’t mess things up too much.
But eventually, the Mariners will have to get the roster in order for a new season of baseball, whenever that might be.
And with that in mind, it’s worth noting that there’s more and more noise about one outcome in particular: The Mariners may lose Randy Arozarena in free agency.
Why Mariners Would Lose Randy Arozarena
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley threw out this prediction in a new article on Wednesday, noting that he thinks the Atlanta Braves would then be a logical landing spot for Arozarena, potentially on a three-year deal.
“If he wants out of the less-than-hitter-friendly confines of Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, he could have a host of outfield-needy suitors along the East Coast,” Buckley writes. “The Boston Red Sox could certainly use his bat, but he’d be such a clear plug-and-play fit for the Atlanta Braves that our crystal ball sees them placing the highest bid.”
Arozarena put one of his best seasons just before hitting free agency, too.
“The 2026 season wasn’t Arozarena’s first as an MLB All-Star (he had twice been selected before), but it may have been when his star shined brightest,” Buckley writes. “And it couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time with free agency awaiting him this offseason. His bat perked up in ways it never had since becoming a full-time player. All three layers of his .279/.379/.480 slash line hit high marks for any season in which he played more than 25 games. His career-high 106 runs are the most in the American League. His 26 homers are one off his previous personal-best, and he tallied 20-plus steals for the sixth consecutive campaign.”
Arozarena’s career-high for home runs is 27, so he just needs to go deep a couple times in the final five games to set a new personal mark.
“Those are difference-making numbers, so his representation will surely hope the market winds up treating him as a difference-maker as a result,” Buckley writes. “Time only knows if that will actually happen, but at least he started the conversation.”
Randy Arozarena Career
Arozarena made his MLB debut briefly in 2019 for the St. Louis Cardinals, but he first made a name for himself the following year on the playoff stage after being acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays.
In the 2020 playoffs, after having played just 42 MLB games in the regular season, Arozarena hit 10 home runs with a .377 average and 1.273 OPS.
He was an MLB regular from there, and a guy that you always had to keep your eye on because you were never quite sure what he might do. He hit 20-plus homers in four consecutive seasons from 2021 through 2024, and he also stole at least 20 bases in all four of those seasons.
The Mariners acquired him midseason from the Rays in 2024 in a trade, and he was a key piece of Seattle’s great 2025 season en route to the ALCS.
He hit a career-high 27 regular season homers in 2025, but as Buckley wrote above, Arozarena has still got it going on — he’s trending toward a career-best average in 2026 at .279.
He’ll turn 32 years old in February, so he likely won’t get a huge or super lengthy contract, but the Mariners will have to contend with other teams for his services, and he may end up leaving the Pacific Northwest.
Mariners Predicted to Lose 26-HR, .279 Average All-Star