Seattle Mariners majority owner John Stanton participated in an interview with King 5 Seattle on Monday, and he entertained a question about fans pleading him to sell the team.
Stanton said, “Selling the team is an inherently risky proposition, in that you don’t know what the interest of the new owner will be.”
He was previously involved with the Seattle Supersonics, who eventually left Seattle to become the Oklahoma City Thunder. Stanton claims that he would hate to see the Mariners leave like the Seattle Pilots did in 1969. He believes that he owns the Seattle Mariners because he is committed to winning.
One problem that fans have with Stanton though is his inability to make the Seattle Mariners better through the use of free agency. The Seattle Mariners consistently rank in the middle of the pack in terms of payroll. While Stanton is correct that the organization has technically raised the Major League investment each season, the amount of outside free agents the team has brought in is minimal.
Seattle Mariners John Stanton Cautions Fans About Selling the Team
On Monday, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto revealed that the team needs to acquire multiple bats and bullpen depth in order to help resolve the issues from 2026. That means the Mariners will need plenty of resources to pull from if they want to improve next season. The amount the organization needs to accomplish is not a simple task.
If Stanton is correct about his unwillingness to sell the Mariners, the team needs to spend more money in free agency to improve the roster. Not to mention, the search for a new manager as well could cost the team a significant sum. Historically, the Mariners have not paid their managers at a top rate. In total, the increased payroll should not just apply to players but the coaching staff as well.
With how many fans are going to games in Seattle, Mariners fans need to see an improved product especially with how drastically high the expectations remain. The organization needs to put their money where the mouth is considering how much they are profiting off Seattle’s loyalty.
Stanton Needs To Prove His Desire Of Winning Championships
If the Seattle Mariners truly want to fix their culture, it starts at the top and the organizations commitment to winning a World Series. From the ownership level to the players, the level of complacency displayed by the Seattle Mariners was unacceptable in 2026. Fixing that situations starts with proving to the fans, the current staff and players that they will have the improvements in order to achieve what they want. A new manager, better coaches, reliable hitters, and additional relievers are all major requirements for the Mariners in 2027. A failure to address those problems will only result in doom for next year’s team.
Seattle Mariners Ownership Warns Fans About ‘Selling the Team’