Losing track of all the names shuffling through the revolving door at second base for the Seattle Mariners? You’re not alone.
For the eighth straight season, the Mariners are expected to have a new opening day second baseman in 2025.
Last winter, the Mariners traded for veteran switch-hitter Jorge Polanco, but injuries limited him to 118 games in what was the worst season of his career. The Mariners declined his $12 million option earlier this month, making him a free agent.
Where do they turn now?
Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations, said the Mariners would like to add two infielders this offseason — players who can fill some combination of first base, second base and/or third base.
The Mariners, again, have signaled that they don’t plan to be active in the market for high-end free agents. You can cross Alex Bregman and Willy Adames off your wishlist.
They do have internal options to play second base.
If they find a new third baseman, the Mariners could employ a platoon of Josh Rojas and Dylan Moore at second. As things stand, Rojas and Moore are more likely to open next season in a job share at third.
Rookies Ryan Bliss and Leo Rivas made their major-league debuts with the Mariners this year. In limited at-bats, they showed some encouraging signs, but there are still questions about their ability to hit big-league pitching.
One of their top prospects, 21-year-old Cole Young, could eventually provide long-sought stability at second base.
Young had a productive year in Class-AA Arkansas, with a .271/.369/.390 (.759 OPS), nine homers, 25 doubles and 23 steals. Those numbers might not pop but consider that he was one of the younger players in Class AA and he played in a pitcher-friendly park.
Young is right on track in his development, and the Mariners have said they will be patient with him. That in mind, the Mariners plan to have Young play in Triple-A for a full season in 2025 — no need to rush him — in hopes that he’ll be ready to make the leap to the big leagues in 2026.
Until then, they’ll need a stopgap option next season.
Depth chart
MLB: Dylan Moore, Josh Rojas, Leo Rivas
Triple-A Tacoma: Ryan Bliss, Samad Taylor
Double-A Arkansas: Cole Young, Brock Rodden
High-A Everett: Michael Arroyo
Low-A Modesto: Charlie Pagliarini
Key number
.633 — Since the start of the 2019 season, Mariners second basemen have the second-worst OPS (.633) among the 30 MLB teams. Only the Chicago White Sox (.626) have a lower OPS. Over the past six seasons, the M’s rank last in batting average (.222) and 25th in wRC+ (82) at the position.
Key offseason question
Can the Mariners find someone to settle in at second base?
Key quote
“Jorge [Polanco] has not had a great year. He’s a good player who’s had a magnificent career, and I think he’s going to be a good player moving forward. I could say the same about others that we’ve had through the years who are no longer playing with us, who similarly came here and struggled.” — Jerry Dipoto
Overview
The presence of Moore and Rojas gives the Mariners some pliability in free agency and on the trade market. A few ideas:
Six trade candidates
Alec Bohm, 3B, Phillies: A torrid start to the 2024 season helped the 27-year-old earn his first All-Star bid, but Bohm was a below-average hitter in the season’s second half (.681 OPS) and his maturity has come into question. He is also projected to make about $8 million for 2025, which on top of the acquisition cost (the Mariners would have to trade away something real) could price him out of Seattle’s budget, unless the Phillies were willing to take on one of the Mariners’ big contracts. Verdict: A right-handed bat with middling power and a rising salary? Not a good profile for the Mariners or T-Mobile Park.
Nico Hoerner, 2B, Cubs: Maybe the best overall player on this list, Hoerner has been worth 13 bWAR combined over the past three seasons. He’s a Gold Glove winner with elite speed, offsetting an average hitting profile (career OPS+ of 100, right at league average). He’s due for a significant salary increase ($11.5 million) entering his age-28 season in 2025, and the Cubs figure to put a high price tag on him in trade talks, too. Verdict: A great option … if the Mariners can afford him.
Brandon Lowe, 2B, Rays: We’ve mentioned Lowe here before. He’s a proven veteran with good pop from the left side, and he could be a nice upgrade from what the Mariners have had at second base. And we know how much the Mariners and Rays like to make trades. But the 30-year-old’s $10.5 million salary is steep, and his injury history is a real concern. Feels like Polanco Part II. Verdict: Too old. Too expensive.
Gavin Lux, 2B, Dodgers: Once a much-hyped prospect — years ago, the Dodgers reportedly refused to include him in trade talks with Cleveland for Francisco Lindor — Lux hasn’t lived up to the billing. A torn ACL wiped out his 2023 season; he had an up-and-down season in his return this year, and was the regular second baseman (with a 2.1 bWAR) in the Dodgers’ World Series run this year. The Dodgers plan to move Mookie Betts back to the infield for 2025, which could push Lux out of a job. He’ll be just 27 next season. Verdict: An intriguing option worth exploring for the Mariners.
Brendan Rodgers, 2B, Rockies: The Mariners checked in on Rodgers’ availability in the past and the Rockies’ asking price at the time was deemed to be unrealistically high. The Rockies are now reportedly open to trading Rodgers, who enters his final season of club control projected to make more than $5 million in 2025. Rodgers was a 4.3 WAR player in 2022, but he hasn’t come close to repeating that, and teams should always be wary of any player leaving Denver’s Coors Field. Verdict: Hard pass.
Brendan Donovan, 2B/LF, Cardinals: This just makes too much sense for the Mariners. Donovan is a versatile left-handed hitter with good on-base skills (career slash line: .280/.364/.407) … he’s in his prime (he’ll be 28 next season) … and he’s affordable (projected to make $3.6 million in arbitration). The Cardinals need pitching and the Mariners could offer a package around young right-handers Emerson Hancock and Michael Morales. Feels like a win-win. (Another Cardinals second baseman worth asking about: Nolan Gorman, a former top prospect who fell out of favor in St. Louis this year.) Verdict: Do it. Donovan is exactly what the Mariners need.
Four free-agent targets
Ha-Seong Kim: The 29-year-old former San Diego Padres infielder is “one of the biggest risk-reward plays of this year’s free agent class,” as MLB Trade Rumors wrote. Kim injured his shoulder in August and had season-ending surgery to repair his labrum, and his availability for opening day next spring is up in the air. Represented by mega-agent Scott Boras, Kim became the first Asian-born infielder to win an MLB Gold Glove in 2023, and he might have commanded a free-agent deal in excess of $100 million if healthy. It’s been suggested he could be open to a one-year “pillow” contract and reenter free agency next year. Would he consider that kind of deal with Seattle?
Hye-Seong Kim: The Mariners have done their due diligence on the Korean second baseman. Hye-Seong Kim, who turns 26 in January, is considered a strong defensive player with good contact skills and speed. He was a teammate of Ha-Seong Kim (no relation) with the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes, who are set to post Hye-Seong Kim this winter. MLB Trade Rumors predicts he could sign for $24 million over three years, which should make him an affordable option in Seattle.
Gleyber Torres: A former top prospect, Torres hits the open market ahead of his age-28 season. He was barely a league-average hitter (104 wRC+) while playing half his games at Yankee Stadium this year (and he’s a poor defender). His profile does not suggest he’s a good fit for T-Mobile Park, and his projected contract (two years, $36 million via MLB Trade Rumors) is probably too rich for the Mariners anyway.
Yoan Moncada: Another former top prospect, Moncada was mostly a disappointment with the Chicago White Sox over the past three injury-riddled seasons. The 29-year-old could be a decent buy-low reclamation project.