The Seattle Mariners made the first splash of the offseason, re-signing first baseman and MLB trade deadline pickup Josh Naylor to a massive $93 million contract.
With Naylor back, the Mariners' attention turns to Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco. Both are priorities for the Mariners this winter, but both are drawing interest from other clubs.
For Seattle, knowing Suarez's asking price is imperative to bringing the slugging third baseman back. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN made an updated contract projection, which gives an idea of what Seattle might have to spend to get Suarez back.
Mariners get $45 million Eugenio Suarez contract projection
"Projected contract: 2 years, $45 million." McDaniel projected for Suarez. The third baseman is 34 years old, and he is seeing some of his defensive metrics regress.
McDaniel pointed out that "... His defensive metrics at third base have gone from +8 to +3 and -3 in the past three seasons."
With a defensive regression and uncertain slugging numbers going forward, Suarez isn't going to land a long-term deal. Instead, he's likely to land a two-year deal at a higher AAV.
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$45 million over two seasons wouldn't be the worst contract for Suarez, especially if he can maintain the incredible slugging prowess he showed in 2025 when he hit 49 home runs.
The Mariners have already brought back one of their trade deadline pickups, and Suarez could also be coming back for another year or two.
Seattle's front office has expressed a willingness to spend and bring back Polanco and Suarez, and if the third baseman's deal is slated to be around two years for $45 million, while it carries some risk, it's one worth taking for the Mariners this winter.
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