5 Lower-Cost Free Agents Who Fit the Mariners Perfectly

The Mariners need to raise the floor of their roster. Obviously the main focus is on bringing in a strong manager. We can spend the winter arguing about the biggest available bat, but somebody still has to catch a fly ball, cover an injury and deliver adult at-bats when the regulars need a day off.

A thin bench can easily find its way into becoming the starting lineup by midseason. Seattle should be shopping for players with clear assignments and enough ability to handle them. Give the manager better choices and the lineup some variety.

These five potential additions offer different ways to do that. “Lower-cost” may need a little imagination in some areas here. But nobody has established their asking prices. Still, each deserves a place in Seattle’s offseason conversation.

5 Affordable Free Agents Who Could Strengthen the Mariners’ Roster

Cedric Mullins - OF

We can be interested in Cedric Mullins without convincing ourselves his best offensive season is ever coming back. The appeal is a manageable role. Back up Julio Rodríguez in center field, provide another option in the corners and bring some speed off the bench. Seattle would be buying ways to improve a game beyond waiting for a pinch-hit homer.

Then there’s his curious history in Seattle. As we previously noted, Mullins has slashed .271/.377/.458 with two home runs in 59 career at-bats at T-Mobile Park.

We should keep the assignment modest. A fourth outfielder can earn his paycheck by making the routine plays and keeping a day off for Rodríguez from becoming an emergency. Fourth outfielder is being generous given the current outfield situation in Seattle. But for the sake of this argument, let's say fourth.

Mullins has a mutual option to resolve before reaching the market. But it’s likely he’ll be a free agent. If he becomes available at a reserve’s price, Seattle should think about making the call. The trouble starts when a team buys a fourth outfielder and hands him an everyday job.

Adrian Morejon - LHP

Morejon is where the bargain-shopping label starts to stretch. Good left-handed relievers get paid, and he has earned the right to expect more than a discount offer. His 2026 season included a 2.83 ERA and 107 strikeouts across 86 innings. That workload is something the Mariners could benefit from, especially if he stays healthy.

For Seattle, the attraction would be another pitcher trusted with a game that can still go either way. He can get you out of a jam. You can deploy him to face the dangerous part of an order. Give the manager a left-handed option whose assignment extends beyond surviving one matchup.

We should want the Mariners to pay for that kind of arm. An affordable roster still has room for a player who costs more because he solves a harder problem.

The question is how much of the budget Seattle can devote to relief pitching while improving the offense. Morejon belongs in that discussion. Calling him a bargain before his market develops would get ahead of the facts.

Austin Hays - OF

Hays offers a pretty straightforward proposition: another right-handed bat for the outfield, with a chance to earn more playing time if he stays healthy and produces.

That would give Seattle room to build a bench around matchups instead of whoever happens to be available. Hays slashed .380/.396/.560 against left-handed pitching in 2026, good for a .956 OPS over 53 plate appearances. To be fair, it’s okay to have some Rob Refsnyder trauma here. But Hays has executed for multiple teams in various hitting environments. Put his right-handed bat in the lineup when a lefty takes the mound. We should be able to look at the opposing starter and see a useful adjustment the Mariners can make

Hays fits more naturally in a corner than as the primary backup in center. His role would differ from Mullins’, even if both are competing for Seattle’s attention in the same price-conscious corner of the market.

The Mariners would need to scrutinize his health and recent production before deciding how much to guarantee. He would also need to arrive with realistic expectations. Seattle cannot pencil a depth signing into the middle of the order and declare the situation fixed.

Mauricio Dubón - UTIL

Dubón might be the cleanest roster fit of the group. His résumé includes two Gold Gloves and extensive work as a utility player. That versatility would have a practical payoff for the M’s. One player covering several positions creates room elsewhere on the bench. It becomes easier to carry an extra bat, manage an injury or give someone a breather without rearranging half the defense. Yes, the Mariners have Brendan Donovan. But really? There’s no guarantee he’ll have a healthy season, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a glove first option for one the league's worst defenses in 2026.

We tend to notice bench construction when it fails. A minor injury suddenly requires a transaction. Dubón could reduce those headaches.

His contact-oriented approach adds to the appeal. Dubón struck out in just 11.8 percent of his plate appearances in 2026 while hitting .276 with 12 home runs. His 99 wRC+ put his overall offensive production just below league average, so we should keep the expectations sensible. Seattle would be getting a hitter who puts the ball in play and can cover multiple positions.

Teruaki Sato - 3B/OF

Sato is the ambitious choice, and the Mariners should also treat him that way. Hanshin has approved his posting after a 39-homer season.

We should also retire the assumption that he will settle for a cheap prove-it contract. There’s no established price yet, and Seattle would have to account for a posting fee as well as the player’s deal. With a thin market for offensive upgrades, it’s hard to think the league will be as cautious as it was the offseason heading into 2026.

This would be a chance for the Mariners to add substantial power through a financial commitment while keeping prospects available for other needs. The club is trying to strengthen several parts of its roster, this would be a clean play.

The eval also needs to be just as serious. Seattle would need conviction about how his swing handles major league pitching and where he fits defensively. Power from Japan comes with a translation question, and T-Mobile Park will ask plenty of its own. Also, Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto proved last year that power can translate despite a high swing-and-miss rate. Could Sato do the same?

Sato would require the biggest leap on this list. He could also offer the biggest reward.

The Mariners have room for both ambition and sensible depth. Mullins, Hays and Dubón could make the roster more functional. Morejon could strengthen the innings that decide close games. Sato could address a much larger offensive need. Seattle’s job is to assemble enough talent that every absence, slump and late-game decision doesn’t feel like a crisis. Saving money only helps if the roster gets better with it.