MLBTR Podcast: Colt Emerson Debuts, Blue Jays’ Rotation Issues, And What To Make Of The Mets And Astros
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Mariners calling up Colt Emerson (3:40)
- The Blue Jays losing José Berríos to surgery and trading Eric Lauer (10:50)
- The Dodgers losing Blake Snell to surgery (17:05)
- The Mets losing Francisco Alvarez to surgery and Clay Holmes to a fibula fracture (21:00)
- The Astros losing Jose Altuve to an oblique strain (31:35)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Which teams have been the biggest positive surprises so far this season? (43:00)
- With the Dodgers having a lot of outfield prospects and trending towards a surplus, do they put together a trade or hold and develop them? (54:10)
Check out our past episodes!
- Patrick Bailey To Cleveland, The Struggling Astros, And Arizona’s Outfield Changes – listen here
- Skubal’s Injury, The Marlins’ Catchers, Eldridge Called Up, And Volpe Sent Down – listen here
- The Alex Cora Situation, Lucas Giolito Signs, And The Phillies Fire Rob Thomson – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
J.P. Crawford Getting Work At Third Base
Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford has been getting work at the hot corner and was taking grounders there prior to today’s game. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com was among those to report that the idea was actually brought up by Crawford, who approached manager Dan Wilson about the possibility this weekend. Crawford’s agent subsequently ran it by general manager Justin Hollander. All parties seem to be on board with seeing what it might look like.
Crawford’s openness to sliding off shortstop comes in conjunction with top prospect Colt Emerson reaching the majors. Seattle inked the 20-year-old to a record-setting eight-year, $95MM contract before he took a single plate appearance in the majors. Emerson made his big league debut earlier this week and promptly deposited a ball over the right field fence, making his first big league hit a three-run big fly. The 2023 first-rounder (No. 22 overall) is currently the third-ranked prospect in the entire game, per Baseball America.
Emerson has played both third base and shortstop in his first three big league games, but he’s spent the overwhelming majority of his career at shortstop (2074 innings, compared to 175 at third base). The Mariners surely envision him as their shortstop of the future — particularly with Crawford set to become a free agent at season’s end.
From Crawford’s vantage point, the experiment makes good sense. It’s a team-first approach in the short term, allowing Emerson to perhaps claim the spot the Mariners hope him to occupy well into the 2030s, but it also expands his own defensive versatility ahead of his first trip to the open market. Crawford’s defensive grades have declined in recent years, particularly over the past season-plus. If he can grade out more effectively at the hot corner, that’ll only make him more appealing while Emerson acclimates to the majors at his natural position.
Third base isn’t entirely new for Crawford, but it’s been quite some time since he logged any game action there. He has 174 innings at the position in his career, all coming in 2017-18 with the Phillies — the team that originally drafted him. He has another 78 minor league innings at the position.
While there’s some current opportunity to test things out, a more permanent move to third base might not be a possibility for Crawford just yet. The Mariners placed Brendan Donovan on the 10-day IL due to a groin strain this week. He’ll be shut down entirely for two to three weeks before resuming baseball activity. It doesn’t seem he’s ticketed for an especially long-term absence.
A healthy Donovan could slot right back in at third base, but he’s also comfortable playing second base and the outfield corners. Cole Young has been fine at second base but hasn’t exactly seized the position with a dominant performance. Outfield/DH options like Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley have quality season-long numbers but have begun to cool after blistering starts to the 2026 campaign. Time will tell how all of them are faring in a few weeks, but there are certainly scenarios where Donovan factors in at a position other than third base — the only position he’s played so far in 2026.
Crawford, 31, is in the final season of a five-year, $51MM contract. He missed time early on due to a shoulder injury and has been slowed recently by a triceps issue that doesn’t seem like it’ll send him to the injured list. He was originally slated to play shortstop and lead off for Seattle, but the Mariners scratched him a couple hours before first pitch. He’s turned in a tepid .210 batting average but has ridden a career-best 16.5% walk rate to a big .358 on-base percentage.
This year’s uncommonly low average is due primarily to a .220 average on balls in play that’s about 70 points shy of league average and Crawford’s own career .293 mark. He’s actually striking out less than ever (and less often than he walks), at a 15.9% rate. Crawford’s batted-ball metrics and bat speed are right in line with his typical levels. Statcast credits him for an expected .256 batting average and .418 slugging percentage, suggesting better days at the plate might not be all that far off.
Mariners Promote Colt Emerson, Place Brendan Donovan On IL
The Mariners are adding top prospect Colt Emerson to the big-league squad, first reported by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The 20-year-old shortstop is among the highest-ranked young players in the sport. The team has officially announced the promotion. Brendan Donovan was placed on the 10-day IL with a groin strain as the corresponding move.
The Mariners released an updated lineup for Sunday Night Baseball against the Padres. Emerson is now batting ninth and playing third base instead of Leo Rivas. He’ll be the youngest Mariner to make his debut since 19-year-old Félix Hernández in 2005, according to the team.
Emerson fell short of an MLB gig out of Spring Training, despite a 111 wRC+ in 18 games. The 20-year-old has slashed .255/.347/.469 through 38 games at Triple-A this season. He’s popped seven home runs to go with 10 stolen bases.
Seattle inked Emerson to an eight-year, $95MM extension in late March. The price tag is a record figure for a player who has yet to appear in the majors. MLB Pipeline has Emerson ranked sixth among all prospects. FanGraphs has the infielder just outside the top 10.
The Mariners didn’t give Emerson an opportunity in the majors when shortstop J.P. Crawford was working through a shoulder injury early in the year. It would seem another injury to an infielder has opened the door for the youngster. Donovan had been out of the lineup since Friday. He’s been the club’s everyday third baseman when healthy. Emerson has played mostly shortstop with Tacoma, but he’s made five starts at the hot corner this season.
Donovan has dealt with groin issues since the offseason. He underwent sports hernia surgery before the 2026 campaign got underway. The infielder hit the IL in late April with a groin strain. After just seven games, Donovan is back on the injured list with the same injury. With Emerson taking over at third base, the versatile Donovan will move around to multiple spots when healthy, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. There’s no timetable for his return, but the club hopes he can get back to full strength in a few weeks, per Divish.
Seattle took Emerson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 draft. He moved quickly through the lower levels of the minors. Emerson posted an impressive 129 wRC+ across three levels last year, capped off by a massive .364/.444/.727 line in a brief sample at Triple-A. He hasn’t been as dominant so far this season, particularly in terms of contact. Emerson has a career-high 27.2% strikeout rate over 169 plate appearances in the minors this year. The power and speed have been among the best he’s shown, though. Emerson’s 16 homers and 14 steals in 2025 were both career highs. He would’ve blown past those marks if he had stayed with Tacoma much longer.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images
Mariners Notes: Crawford, Emerson, Shortstop
The Mariners recently signed a record extension with infield prospect Colt Emerson. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke to members of the media in the wake of that deal. Per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, Dipoto said that J.P. Crawford will remain the club’s shortstop this year. If Emerson is recalled to the active roster at some point, he will likely play third base, which will bump Brendan Donovan into a utility role.
Though the Mariners signed Emerson to that long-term deal, they immediately optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma. That’s an unprecedented sequence of events but it also has some logic to it. Emerson is 20 years old and only has ten Triple-A games under his belt so far. The Mariners clearly believe in his long-term future but he is still a prospect and they will have to make the choices that they feel are in the best interest of his development.
They also have a fairly crowded infield at the moment. Crawford started the season in the injured list due to some shoulder inflammation but he was reinstated today. Fellow infielder Ryan Bliss was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma as the corresponding move. Crawford will retake his shortstop position with Cole Young at second and Donovan at third.
Perhaps Emerson will force his way onto the roster at some point via his bat, since his offense is his true calling card. He went from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A last year, slashing .285/.383/.458 along the way. His 11.8% walk rate and 17.5% strikeout rate were both a few ticks better than average and he hit 16 home runs, despite being very young for each level.
His defense has generally been considered a bit behind his offense. He has made strides in recent years and many evaluators think he has a chance to be a serviceable shortstop, but it’s understandable that the Mariners would opt for Crawford for now. Crawford’s defensive reviews are mixed, with Outs Above Average putting him at minus-29 for his career while he’s been credited with five Defensive Runs Saved. Despite that imbalance, he has almost 8,000 big league innings at the position, while Emerson has none and is questionable at the spot for now.
Crawford is slated for free agency after 2026, so perhaps Emerson will get a crack at the shortstop job next year. That is perhaps another reason to keep him in Triple-A for now, as he will have greater ability to continue getting reps at shortstop in the minors. His third base experience is also still fairly limited, so he’ll need to keep working at that spot as well, if that’s his current path to a big league job.
As for Donovan, his potential move is another illustration of why he was such a perfect fit for the Mariners this offseason. His versatility means that he can be moved around the diamond depending on what happens with other guys. Young only hit .211/.302/.305 last year and therefore wasn’t a sure thing at second base, while Emerson seemingly had some small chance to break camp at third.
Young went on to hit .281/.349/.667 in spring and seize the job at the keystone. He has carried that over in the season so far, as he’s currently sporting a .320/.346/.520 line. That pushed Donovan to third base for now, though his outfield experience means Emerson could push him to the grass at some point. That could take playing time away from the Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone, Rob Refsnyder, Víctor Robles group, depending on how things go between now and then.
Dipoto also expressed broad openness to doing more extensions. “I can’t tell you that there’s any likelihood we’ll get anything else done in this season, but it won’t be because we’re not interested,” Dipoto said, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. “It’s always an open door.” It was recently reported that the Mariners have broached the subject of contract extensions with both Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo, though it doesn’t appear the club got close to an agreement with either pitcher.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
MLBTR Podcast: Lots Of Extensions And Big-Picture Topics
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Mariners signing an extension with Colt Emerson (1:20)
- The Brewers agreeing to an extension with Cooper Pratt (19:05)
- The Orioles signing an extension with Shane Baz (28:40)
- The Cubs signing extensions with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner (38:00)
- Free agents coming from Japan getting less than expected this offseason (53:35)
- The Tarik Skubal arbitration decision potentially being a paradigm shift (59:15)
- The economics of the game with the collective bargaining agreement expiring in less than a year (1:05:50)
- Did the short-term deals for Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette signal a new trend? (1:22:45)
- Dealing with high-spending clubs with draft pick penalties instead of financial penalties (1:31:00)
- Can the Brewers continue to win after trading away some valuable guys? (1:38:10)
- The exciting crop of 2026 rookies (1:41:15)
- Can the Pirates push into contention in a crowded NL Central? (1:43:40)
- The excitement around the introduction of the ABS system (1:44:50)
Check out our past episodes!
- The PCA and Sanchez Extensions, And Prospect Promotions And Reassignments – listen here
- Banged-Up Reds And Braves, Kevin McGonigle, And Spring Breakouts – listen here
- Jesús Luzardo’s Extension, Atlanta’s Depth, And Zack Littell – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Mariners Sign Colt Emerson To Eight-Year Extension
The Mariners announced the signing of top shortstop prospect Colt Emerson to an eight-year extension that includes a club option for the 2034 campaign. Emerson, an ACES client, is reportedly guaranteed $95MM — a record for a player who has yet to make his MLB debut.
The signing comes with a full no-trade clause and includes another $35MM+ in escalators. There’s reportedly an $8MM signing bonus. Emerson will make $1MM and $2MM respective salaries over the next two seasons. That’ll climb to $9MM in 2028 and between $12-18MM per season from 2029-32. The club option is valued at $25MM.
Emerson will remain in Triple-A, where he has nine games of experience. Seattle needed to select him onto the 40-man roster to finalize his major league contract but immediately optioned him back to the Triple-A level. The 20-year-old’s deal tops the previous record guarantee for a player without any MLB service time (previously held by Jackson Chourio) by $13MM.
It’s not hard to see why the Mariners are giving him a guarantee that nearly reaches nine-figures before even seeing him take a single MLB at-bat, however. The youngster is a consensus top-15 prospect in the sport and rocketed through the minors last year. After starting 2025 at the High-A level, he walked at an excellent 13.1% clip and swatted 32 extra-base hits in just 90 games. That forced the issue enough to earn him a promotion to the upper minors and, across 40 games between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma, Emerson slashed .293/.383/.470 in 188 plate appearances. That would be an impressive slash line for any player, but even more so for a 19-year-old who plays quality defense all over the infield.
The Mariners made the decision to let Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco depart in free agency over the offseason, and Emerson’s emergence was surely part of that calculus. For now, the club has an infield mix that appears full on paper, with J.P. Crawford at shortstop, Cole Young at second base, and the recently-acquired Brendan Donovan at third base.
Crawford is currently on the injured list with a bout of shoulder inflammation, but he’s expected to return relatively quickly from that injury. The Mariners preferred to use utilityman Leo Rivas as a fill-in rather than call Emerson up for a week or two only to option him back to Tacoma. With Crawford on track to hit free agency after the 2026 season, the position will probably belong to Emerson in the long term.
That’s not to say he’ll need to wait until 2027 to make his MLB debut. Young is a former top prospect himself and is well-regarded by the Mariners, but he’s ultimately unproven at the big league level and could open up playing time at the keystone if he struggles or sits against tough lefties. Donovan was acquired in no small part thanks to his elite versatility. The super-utility man is primarily an infielder but has plenty of experience on the outfield grass as well. Emerson could assume the regular third base job at some point this season. That would bump Donovan to right field, thereby displacing either Dominic Canzone or Luke Raley from the starting lineup.
While a spot could be made for Emerson in the majors, it’s understandable that the club is holding off on promoting him for now. This extension is a big bet on his ability and removes the consideration of service time from the equation, but Emerson’s development must still be considered. While MLB Pipeline notes that his defensive metrics last year suggested he was an above-average defender at short, he has just 111 1/3 innings of work at third base for his career and just 75 at the keystone, so it would be understandable if the team wanted to get him additional looks at those positions before giving him a full-time role in the majors.
As for his offense, Emerson has just 43 total games in the upper minors. That’s not a lot of time afforded for his development, and while some top prospects are able to jump right in at the big league level with minimal minor league experience, the Mariners should remember all too well the struggles that outfielder Jarred Kelenic faced when he was promoted to the majors after just 51 games in the upper minors (including 30 at Triple-A). The front office surely has no interest in risking Emerson’s development on calling him up before he’s ready, particularly given the fact that Emerson is now slated to receive the fourth-largest guarantee on Seattle’s entire roster behind Julio Rodriguez, Luis Castillo, and Cal Raleigh.
Regardless of when Emerson ultimately reaches the majors, this deal locks up a key piece of Seattle’s core for the future. With Emerson now under club control through the end of the 2034 season, he joins Raleigh, Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, and Young as key players under control through at least 2030. That positional core is complemented by impact pieces like Donovan, star closer Andres Munoz, and of course the club’s vaunted starting rotation of Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, and Bryce Miller. All five of those starters are set to hit free agency between the 2027-28 offseason and the 2029-30 offseason, so perhaps the club’s long-term planning can now focus on the future of the rotation now that key positional assets like Raleigh and Emerson are locked up for the long haul.
Robert Murray of FanSided first reported that Emerson and the Mariners had agreed to an eight-year, $95MM contract with a club option, more than $35MM in escalators, and a no-trade clause. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Emerson would be optioned back to Triple-A. Adam Jude of The Seattle Times had the signing bonus and salary range. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reported the $25MM option value and more salary specifics.
Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images.
Mariners Assign Colt Emerson To Minor League Camp
Top prospect Colt Emerson has been reassigned to minor league camp, the Mariners announced. The move likely ends the infielder’s bid for an Opening Day roster spot. Despite his youth, the 20-year-old was said to be in the mix for a big-league job. He’ll now head back to Tacoma for more seasoning.
Emerson held his own during spring action with Seattle. He posted a 111 wRC+ with a pair of home runs and a stolen base. The shortstop kept the strikeout rate at a reasonable 21.3% while walking more than 10% of the time. It’s a tiny 18-game sample, but Emerson held his own in his brief opportunity against MLB-caliber talent.
Seattle had multiple spots to fill in the infield heading into the offseason, with Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez hitting free agency. The club brought back Josh Naylor to handle first base, then traded for Brendan Donovan. The former Cardinal seems to be heading for regular reps at third base. J.P. Crawford has been a mainstay at shortstop. A shoulder injury to the veteran offered a glimpse of hope for Emerson, but it’ll now be someone else who fills in for Crawford if he can’t get ready in time for the opener. Leo Rivas is the most likely candidate.
Cole Young paced the Mariners in plate appearances at second base last season with 254. He scuffled to a .612 OPS in those opportunities. Young finished with an 80 wRC+ over 77 games in his first taste of the big leagues. Spring Training has been a completely different story. The 22-year-old has slashed .294/.368/.725 across 17 spring contests. After hitting four home runs in the big leagues last year, he’s already popped six in Cactus League play. Young has also chipped in four steals.
It probably would’ve taken an undeniable spring performance for Emerson to snag an Opening Day job. While he did reach Triple-A to close 2025, it was only for six games. The likeliest scenario was always that he’d begin the year in the minors. Young’s tremendous Spring Training made it an easier decision for Seattle.
Emerson is the consensus top prospect in the Mariners’ system. He’s in the top 10 overall at ESPN, MLB.com, and The Athletic. The latter has him all the way up at No. 4, behind only Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle, and Jesus Made. Griffin met a similar fate today, getting sent back to minor league camp. McGonigle remains in big-league camp with the Tigers.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Mariners Infield Notes: Donovan, Emerson, Bliss
Much of the focus in Mariners camp will be on the infield. Seattle’s biggest offseason moves — re-signing Josh Naylor and trading for Brendan Donovan — addressed two spots. They lost a couple infielders, Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez, to free agency. It’s the biggest area of turnover on what might be the American League’s best roster.
Naylor and J.P. Crawford are locked into first base and shortstop, respectively. Donovan will be an everyday player. He’s a solid defender at second base and can handle the corner outfield as well, though his below-average speed means he fits better on the infield. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times writes that Donovan’s early work with infield coach Perry Hill has come at third base.
That’s the simplest solution in the short term. Suárez and Ben Williamson, who was traded to Tampa Bay in the three-team Donovan deal, took the majority of the playing time last season. Of the five players who started games at third base in 2025, only Miles Mastrobuoni remains in the organization. Donovan didn’t get any work at the hot corner last year but logged 269 2/3 innings there between 2022-24. Although defensive grades aren’t especially meaningful in that small a sample, he has above-average marks from Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average.
Donovan’s primary role will largely be determined by the progress of younger players around him. Cole Young had a brutal finish to his rookie season, but he remains the favorite to start at second base. Young is a former first-round pick who hit .279/.388/.432 in the minors and is entering his age-22 season. He remains a very promising young player even though he’s not technically a prospect anymore.
20-year-old shortstop Colt Emerson is even more highly regarded. The 2023 first-round pick combined for a .285/.383/.458 batting line with 16 homers and 14 steals over 600 plate appearances across three minor league levels. Emerson walked at a near-12% clip while striking out less than 18% of the time. He spent the majority of the season in High-A but ripped through Double-A to earn a late-season cameo at Triple-A Tacoma. He played six games there in the final week of the regular season.
Emerson is a consensus top 10 overall prospect at Baseball America, The Athletic, ESPN and MLB Pipeline. The likeliest outcome is that he opens the season at Tacoma with an eye towards a midseason promotion. It’d be a surprise if Emerson breaks camp, but the Mariners aren’t completely closing the door on that as Spring Training opens. “It’s not out of the question that he earns a spot on the team,” president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told reporters on Thursday (link via Daniel Kramer of MLB.com). Dipoto praised Emerson’s well-rounded skillset and maturity.
The probable Opening Day infield lines up as Naylor, Young, Crawford and Donovan from right to left. Emerson could get consistent reps against Triple-A pitching while building reps at third base, where he has 111 1/3 innings of professional experience. He’s the heir apparent at shortstop when Crawford hits free agency next winter but presumably wouldn’t push the veteran off the position this year. If Emerson has a monster Spring Training that forces the club’s hand, Donovan could kick back to second base and potentially move Young to Triple-A. That shouldn’t be an issue even if Donovan doesn’t play any second base during Spring Training given his ample work at the position.
Last year’s season-opening second baseman, Ryan Bliss, hasn’t gotten as much public attention. Bliss is older and not nearly as highly regarded as Young and Emerson, so that’s natural, but he’s a former second-round pick who hit .269/.377/.456 with 12 homers and 50 stolen bases in Triple-A in 2024. He unfortunately didn’t get much of an opportunity to solidify himself at the MLB level.
Bliss ruptured his left biceps on a swing two weeks into the regular season. He underwent surgery that came with a 4-5 month rehab timeline. Bliss returned to minor league game action in September and had an impressive week in Triple-A. He may well have reclaimed the second base job from Young to close the regular season had he not sustained a meniscus tear in his right knee that required season-ending surgery. Kramer writes that Bliss is back to full health this spring.
It’s a deep infield that’ll only become more crowded whenever Emerson earns the call. Bliss has a couple minor league options remaining. Leo Rivas also has an option but reached base at a .387 clip in 111 plate appearances last season and made the team’s playoff rosters. They flip-flopped Mastrobuoni and Luke Raley as the last hitter off the bench in October.
They’re both out of options, and it’s difficult to see Seattle carrying both players into the season if all their hitters get through camp healthy. They’ll need bench spots for backup catcher Andrew Knizner and righty platoon bat Rob Refsnyder. Keeping Mastrobuoni and Raley would require them to option both Bliss and Rivas before even considering an Emerson promotion. Dipoto acknowledged the likelihood that someone gets squeezed out at the end of Spring Training, conceding the front office may “have to make some uncomfortable short-term decisions.”
Latest On Mariners’ Trade Targets
This week’s trade sending Nolan Arenado from St. Louis to Arizona and the Cubs’ weekend signing of Alex Bregman figure to accelerate the market surrounding various trade and free agent scenarios. One club that could directly be impacted is the Mariners, who’ve spent the bulk of the winter trying to add another infielder after re-signing Josh Naylor on a five-year contract early in the offseason.
Seattle’s interest in Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan is no secret. They were linked to him last offseason and have been reported to be one of his most prominent suitors this winter. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports that in addition to Donovan, the Mariners have had “ongoing” discussions with the Cardinals about left-handed reliever JoJo Romero throughout the winter. Seattle already added one southpaw arm for the bullpen, acquiring Jose A. Ferrer from the Nationals in December, and they have a second outstanding option in Gabe Speier, who enjoyed a breakout year in 2025 (and was just added to the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic).
Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports that Donovan is the Mariners’ top target on the trade market but adds that the M’s also have interest in Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner. The veteran Hoerner’s name has come up in trade speculation since the Bregman signing, though it seems unlikely a deal will actually come together. Chicago appears willing to listen as a matter of due diligence but would presumably need to be overwhelmed and receive substantial big league talent to trade Hoerner coming off a .297/.345/.394 season that saw him swipe 29 bases, win his second Gold Glove and finish sixth in the National League with 6.2 wins above replacement, per Baseball-Reference (or 15th with 4.8 fWAR, for those who prefer FanGraphs’ version of the statistic).
[Related: Giants Aggressively Pursuing Second Base Upgrade]
At this point, the fit between Donovan and the Mariners has been explored at length. He’s an affordable ($5.8MM in 2026) high-contact bat with good on-base and defensive skills who can handle either of the two currently unsettled positions in the Seattle infield: second base or third base. The M’s have plenty of highly touted prospects who could emerge at those positions — Colt Emerson, Cole Young, Michael Arroyo among them — but Donovan could also move to an outfield corner if those promising young players force the issue. He’s under control through the 2027 season via arbitration.
Romero was previously linked to the Mariners, but that was before the team acquired Ferrer. It’s notable that Jones implies there have been talks even after that swap. The 29-year-old lefty has been a mainstay in the Cardinals’ bullpen for three-plus seasons now and has steadily shown year-over-year improvement. In 2025, he tossed a career-high 61 innings with a career-best 2.07 earned run average. Romero saved eight games, tallied 24 holds and blew only one opportunity. He fanned a slightly below-average 21.6% of his opponents against a bloated 11.4% walk rate that stands as a major outlier relative to the career 7.7% walk rate he carried into the ’25 season. The lefty also kept a hefty 54.5% of batted balls on the ground.
The Cardinals signed Romero to a $4.26MM contract for the upcoming season — his final year of club control. While last year’s hiccup in terms of command is of at least some concern, the broader track record is quite strong. Since joining the Cardinals, Romero boasts a flat 3.00 ERA (3.61 SIERA) with a 23.4% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate, 53.7% ground-ball rate, 57 holds and 12 saves. The Orioles and Yankees are among the others to show interest in Romero, though it’s a veritable certainty that the field of interested clubs is much larger than just these three.
Echoing previous reporting from The Athletic’s Katie Woo, Jude suggests that at least a pair of top-100 prospects — switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and outfielder Lazaro Montes — have been discussed in talks with the Cardinals. The exact permutations of those talks remains murky. There’s no firm indication that St. Louis has sought both in the same package for Donovan, just as there’s no certainty that Seattle has offered both. It’s certainly possible that Romero’s name has come up as part of a package talk involving one or both those ballyhooed young players. Whatever shape those negotiations have taken, they (obviously) have yet to culminate in a deal.
Hoerner, much like Donovan, is a straightforward fit for the Mariners. The previously mentioned Cole Young is currently in line to open the season at second base for the M’s. He’s a former first-round pick and top-50 prospect, but Young hit just .211/.302/.305 in his first 77 MLB games last year. He won’t even turn 23 until late July, so there’s plenty of time for him to develop into a quality regular, but the Mariners are built to win right now. Hoerner, a free agent next winter who’s signed for $12MM in 2026, would give the Mariners an immediate upgrade while affording them the luxury of additional development time for Young. As a bonus, Seattle could extend a qualifying offer to Hoerner next November, netting them a compensatory draft pick in the event that he signs elsewhere.
Again, the Cubs are not outright shopping Hoerner but are willing to hear other clubs out. They’re almost certainly not going to trade him for prospects who are years from MLB readiness; doing so would offset most or even all of the wins gained by bringing Bregman into the fold. It’s hard to come up with a direct exchange that would benefit both parties equally, but the Mariners are nothing if not aggressive and creative on the trade front.
At present, RosterResource projects the Mariners for just under $157MM in 2026 payroll. That’s a bit shy of the franchise-record $158MM Opening Day payroll and a ways south of the roughly $167MM figure at which they ended the 2025 campaign. Given the win-now push in Seattle and the extra revenue from a deep playoff run that saw the Mariners advance to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, it stands to reason that ownership is willing to push payroll beyond those marks.
Looking At The Mariners’ Internal Infield Options
At the end of the 2025 season, the Mariners lost three infielders to free agency, as each of Josh Naylor, Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez hit the open market. That left shortstop J.P. Crawford as the only lock for the 2026 infield. The M’s quickly pounced to bring Naylor back, signing the first baseman to a five-year, $92.5MM deal not long after free agency began.
Reuniting with Polanco and/or Suárez still seems to be on the table but second and third base are open for now. What options do the Mariners have in the system at present? Let’s take a look at the possibilities.
Young is a former first-round pick, with the M’s taking him 21st overall in 2022. He came into 2025 as a consensus top 100 prospect. He was promoted to the big leagues at the end of May and primarily played second base. He eventually took 257 trips to the plate but produced a tepid .211/.302/.305 line, which translates to a wRC+ of 80.
That’s obviously less than ideal but there are some reasons for optimism. Young’s 10.9% walk rate and 18.3% strikeout rate were both strong. His .247 batting average on balls in play was more than 40 points below league average. His average exit velocity of 87.6 miles per hour was subpar but his max exit velo of 114.1 mph was in the top 10% of major league hitters. Perhaps he can tap into that premium velo a bit more as he gets more exposed to big league pitching. He hit .277/.392/.461 for a 120 wRC+ in Triple-A prior to his promotion, so perhaps his uninspiring major league debut was just a blip.
One year after taking Young, the M’s were selecting one pick later in the first round. They used the 22nd overall pick in 2023 to grab Emerson. He had a big rise in 2025, playing 90 games in High-A, followed by 34 in Double-A and six in Triple-A. Between those three levels, he took 600 trips to the plate and slashed .285/.383/.458 for a 129 wRC+. He also stole 14 bases while primarily playing shortstop, plus a few games at third.
Emerson is now a consensus top 15 prospect in the whole league. His Triple-A experience is still minimal and he’s only 20 years old but the Mariners would presumably have at least some willingness to carry him on the Opening Day roster. MLB teams are generally more willing to do that with top prospects these days because of the PPI benefits. The M’s carried 21-year-old Julio Rodríguez on their roster throughout 2022. When he won Rookie of the Year, that netted the M’s an extra pick in 2023. That allowed them to select outfielder Jonny Farmelo just seven picks after taking Emerson.
The M’s presumably won’t just hand a job to Emerson. He will have to earn it in spring. Theoretically, he could take over third base in 2026. Crawford is slated to be a free agent a year from now, at which point Emerson could potentially move over to short. It’s also possible that Felnin Celesten is more of a factor by then. Celesten is considered a better shortstop defender than Emerson but he hasn’t reached Double-A yet.
Bliss was a second-round pick of the Diamondbacks who came to the Mariners in the 2023 deadline deal which sent Paul Sewald to the desert. His 2025 season was marred by injury. First, a torn left biceps required surgery in April. He began a rehab assignment in August but then suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee. Due to that missed time, he has a .214/.287/.367 line in just 110 big league plate appearances over the past two seasons.
His minor league track record is naturally better than that. Bliss has 739 Triple-A plate appearances with a .260/.365/.453 line and 105 wRC+. He’s also huge threat on the bases with at least 50 steals in the minors in both 2023 and 2024. He has lots of minor league experience at both middle infield positions. He never had the same prospect hype as Young or Emerson but the speed and defense could make him a valuable player with even league average offense.
Williamson was a second-round pick in 2023. He generally put up good minor league numbers but with a pesky contact-based approach and very little power. He got into 85 big league games this year and hit .253/.294/.310 for a wRC+ of 76. There could be more in the bat but Williamson is lauded more for his glovework. Statcast only had him as average in the field this year but he was credited with eight Defensive Runs Saved.
Arroyo, 21, was an international signing out of Colombia and is now a consensus Top 100 prospect. In 2025, he got into 65 High-A games and 56 Double-A contests. Between those two levels, he slashed .262/.401/.433 for a wRC+ of 139. He has a bit of experience at third base and shortstop but was kept exclusively at second base in 2025. Since he hasn’t yet played at the Triple-A level, it’s probably a bit of a reach for him to crack the Opening Day roster, but he might have an outside chance. Even if Opening Day is out of the question, a midseason promotion would be a possibility.
Leo Rivas/Miles Mastrobuoni/Samad Taylor
These three are more in the part-time or utility bucket. Rivas can draw walks but has little power. He can play the three infield spots to the left of first base as well as the outfield corners. He could be on the bench but he also has an option remaining. Mastrobuoni’s minor league profile is somewhat similar but he hasn’t hit in the majors and is now out of options. Taylor has just 83 big league plate appearances and is also out of options. He has big wheels and can also play the outfield, so he could be a nice bench piece who comes in for pinch running and/or defensive substitute opportunities.
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Put it all together and it puts the Mariners in an interesting position. They are clearly in win-now mode. They just finished their fifth straight winning season. They won the West for the first time in over 20 years. They came achingly close to a World Series berth. The Astros and Rangers seem to be dealing with payroll issues. The A’s have some promise but still need to build a pitching staff. The Angels have lots of questions to be answered. The division is there for the Mariners to take.
That should arguably tilt them towards going for established big leaguers such as Polanco or Suárez or whoever else. On the other hand, there’s a chance Emerson is a future star who is ready to go. If he struggles in the spring, Williamson at least gives them a glove-first floor as a fallback. At second base, the M’s could leave it open for Young, Bliss and Arroyo to duke it out. Between the three, they would only need one of them to step forward and seize the job.
In an ideal world, a utility player who can also move to the outfield would make a lot of sense, so perhaps the M’s will make a spirited pursuit of Brendan Donovan. He could play second or third if the younger guys don’t take those jobs. If they do, he could move into the corner infield mix with Victor Robles, Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley. If that also got too crowded, the designated hitter spot is fairly open at the moment. Free agents like Willi Castro or Amed Rosario would be less-exciting versions of the Donovan pick-up.
RosterResource has the club slated for a $151MM payroll in 2026. That’s about $15MM below the $166MM they had at the end of 2025. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto recently said that next year’s payroll would probably be in a similar range to the prior season. Like all teams, they could use some pitching upgrades, so it will be fascinating to see how much of their remaining resources they use on the infield.
Photo courtesy of Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images