The Mariners haven’t been shy about their desire to shore up their infield mix this winter, and while at points in the offseason the club has shown an interest in upgrading at second their focus appears to be primarily on upgrading the infield corners rather than the keystone, where options like Dylan Moore and Ryan Bliss available to hold down the fort until top middle infield prospect Cole Young is ready for his MLB debut.
First base appears to be fairly simple hole for the club to fill. They’ve long been connected to a reunion with veteran Justin Turner, who helped to bolster their first base mix down the stretch and could pair well with Luke Raley’s left-handed bat at the position. Aside from that possibility, a number of viable veteran options like Mark Canha and Anthony Rizzo still remain available in free agency as well, not to mention trade candidates like Yandy Diaz, Luis Arraez, and LaMonte Wade Jr. who could provide a bit more impact at the cost of trade capital. Even after a run on first base talent just before the New Year, plenty of options remain available for the club to consider as they look for an upgrade for Raley and youngster Tyler Locklear.
Third base, however, is a bit more complicated. While a number of players could at least theoretically be available at the position this winter, Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado both figure to be well outside of the Mariners’ price range. Another potential trade candidate, Eugenio Suarez, also seems unlikely to be a fit given that the Mariners themselves traded Suarez just one offseason ago. Beyond Bregman, few options available in free agency provide obvious upgrades over Josh Rojas, who the club utilized at third base last year before non-tendering him back in November…