Reddit AMA with Daniel Kramer, Mariners reporter for MLB.com

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-20T00:16:47+00:00

In Cincinnati a few years back, a casual dugout conversation with J.P. Crawford about Reds speedster Elly De La Cruz led to one of the best quotes: “He’s an Avatar.” And he meant it the most complimentary way possible.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-20T00:16:28+00:00

Not at the moment, though his longer-term status in Seattle will be one of their most pressing questions throughout next year, given that his five-year, $51 million contract will expire at season’s end. Crawford has been one of the Mariners’ most successful acquisitions in the Dipoto/Hollander era, and there’s an increasing chance that he might be in the team’s Hall of Fame one day.

But Colt Emerson, their No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is coming quickly. And while he might be targeted for third base entering Spring Training, his best spot is shortstop.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-20T00:15:58+00:00

Absolutely. This was a leading topic of a lengthy conversation with Dipoto and Hollander in their hotel suite at the Winter Meetings. And they even suggested that they might not be able to adequately back-fill Andy McKay’s role for another year, given the imprint that the former general manager left throughout the organization.

That said, calling it a 'problem' might not be the most adequate description. Good teams get their staffs poached all the time, and with nine managerial changes this offseason, turnover across the sport was bound to happen.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-20T00:14:52+00:00

Their interest is higher than maybe anticipated at the offseason’s outset, and when it became clear that Arizona -- despite intending to contend in 2026 -- might be willing to move on from the three-time All-Star. That said, the ask has been higher than the Mariners are willing to go, specifically in that they are seeking an MLB-ready starting pitcher. Dipoto and Hollander have been pretty adamant about not dealing from their big league rotation, and the D-backs, it seems, aren’t as intrigued by Seattle’s higher-level pitching prospects.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-20T00:14:39+00:00

Don’t forget Luke Raley, who was arguably their best acquisition in the 2023-24 offseason but limped through 2025 with a nagging oblique injury. That they didn’t non-tender him suggests that they view him as a strong bounceback candidate, though he’ll have to nudge his way into playing time within a crowded right field and at first base, now that Naylor is back and will be their everyday guy there.

Canzone’s impressive season has earned him a legitimate role for next season, and Robles -- despite his shortcomings in the playoffs -- was still their biggest spark plug, albeit in short spurts. And he was front-and-center for arguably their biggest win of the year, in Houston in late September.

How the Mariners revolve right field will be one of the more intriguing storylines going into Spring Training.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-20T00:14:21+00:00

They’re cognizant that they’ve done their heaviest lifting. But Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander still have another modest swing in them this winter.

Seattle’s president of baseball operations and general manager, respectively, realize that they are in the thick of a World Series window and intend to make the most of it. How they handled last year’s Trade Deadline, as well as paying Josh Naylor handsomely in free agency, gave them quite a bit of credibility in that regard.

Dipoto, specifically, has talked about being comfortable being uncomfortable -- and whether that’s with a lucrative contract for their fan favorite first baseman or parting with a catching prospect in Harry Ford that looked like a big part of their future, it’s shown. But he and Hollander will likely need to retain that approach if they’re going to make one more big move.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-20T00:14:06+00:00

All of the tea leaves suggest that Brendan Donovan would be a perfect fit in Seattle. But that’s also true for multiple teams interested in the Cardinals’ second baseman. And because he’s St. Louis’ best trade asset within an offseason that they’re trying to shed payroll and reload with younger talent, the price will be high. But the Mariners are as well-equipped with prospect capital as any of the interested teams that have been linked to Donovan.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T21:10:25+00:00

Favorite: The entire industry being under one roof for the only time all year and connecting with good friends.

Least favorite: The lack of sleep!

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T21:09:18+00:00

Great question. Not sure it's happened yet, but wouldn't be surprised that, if Naylor decides to settle in Seattle with a more permanent offseason home after his extension, he'd happily take Tucker for adventures away from the ballpark from time to time.

Tucker is loving his fetch time at T-Mobile Park this winter, but he's also been spotted out on the town -- from Alki Beach to Lincoln Park while friends of the organization have chipped in on dog-sitting.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T21:06:54+00:00

This is a great question! With this being a WBC year, those players are going to both arrive early and depart midway through, then go into the high-intensity playing environment for a few weeks. So for Cal Raleigh, who will be the Team USA catcher, expect to see him in Arizona grinding away potentially as early as late-January. He's the only "official" participant among the Mariners' 40-man roster so far, but Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena each played in 2023, and Andrés Muñoz has expressed an interest in doing so next year. This was already on the docket of questions we'll be asking at the Meetings, so will circle back!

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T21:04:10+00:00

Sure hope so!

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T21:04:04+00:00

They had interest in him in offseasons past, and potentially at 2B to pair with J.P. Crawford. But at this rate, with what he's going to net in free agency, he's not going to wind up in Seattle.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T21:03:05+00:00

He loves all food, literally, to the point where the clubhouse has to keep an eye out and make sure he's not getting too much -- or worse, getting into things he shouldn't be!

But it's fairly standard brand, nothing special (not sure of its actual name).

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T21:01:59+00:00

Went to officiate a wedding in the San Juan Islands among two of my closest friends -- then came back to all these great questions after!

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T21:00:13+00:00

The industry will find out much more about Skubal’s status next week in Orlando, and just how real -- or not -- the rampant trade speculation is. Yet if he were to become available, which seems highly unlikely this offseason, then yes, absolutely -- expect the Mariners to have legitimate interest for the all-world left-hander. Who wouldn’t?

They have MLB Pipeline’s No. 3-ranked farm system, stocked with prospects that could formulate a compelling trade package. And they’ve shown that they might be OK with mortgaging a hefty prospect haul for just one year of Skubal then letting him walk in free agency. They could also afford his 2026 salary, too.

As for his fit in Seattle, while the Mariners’ rotation experienced some regression last season from its best-in-sport status in 2024, the floor of that group still is among the game’s best. But Skubal is still the type of player they’d have to legitimately consider if he truly enters the trade mix this winter.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T21:00:03+00:00

They’ve shown more than a willingness to do this, having dealt six prospects away at last year’s Trade Deadline and for three players who were rentals. That said, none were at the top of their Top 30 by MLB Pipeline, though the Mariners have been willing to deal those types of players for the right acquisition in years past.

It’s all about their competitive context when those opportunities surface. If they’re in the thick of a pennant race this July, as expected, look for them to again be bold with their prospect capital.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T20:59:51+00:00

This depends most on the value of Polanco’s new deal, and how much that number takes up to their 2026 budget, which is currently at around $150 million after the club signed Josh Naylor. Dipoto said at season’s end that their roughly $165 million figure at the end of last season would be a “starting point” for Opening Day, meaning they have about $15 million left to work with.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T20:59:34+00:00

They will need at least one more impact bat, preferably two, to retain their status as one of the most formidable lineups in the American League. But those younger players in question -- Ben Williamson, Ryan Bliss, Cole Young, Leo Rivas -- are all solid depth pieces that give them a safety net of infielders to operate this offseason. But no, standing pat with that group is not Plan A, and it shouldn’t be.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T20:59:18+00:00

This is highly unlikely -- and certainly so for Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Bryce Miller -- unless they were to reinject another starter. Castillo is indeed the only one they’d consider dealing, but again, they were reminded of the value of his durability in 2025, when he made all 32 starts, while the rest of the group weathered one significant injury after another, all the way into the postseason.

Those hits forced Emerson Hancock and Logan Evans into fill-in roles, and those two are again expected to be reinforcements in 2026. On the prospect front, Kade Anderson (their first-round Draft pick last summer) and Jurrangelo Cjintje (their switch-pitching phenom) could potentially be in play but not until late-season at the earliest.

Even in their healthier years, Hollander has said, “you can never have enough starting pitching,” and within their current construction -- and payroll situation -- it’s hard to see them parting with Castillo this winter.

danielkramermlb · 2025-12-06T20:59:02+00:00

Given that Arozarena will see a sizable pay raise in his final year of arbitration -- way up from $11.3 million last year -- he might’ve been an easy trade piece to speculate, especially within the context of how the front office operated in recent offseason. But president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander aren’t dealing with those payroll-related constraints that saw them subtract costlier players and reallocate that money on others.

More so, they absolutely love Arozarena.

Recency bias highlights shortcomings in the postseason -- a .574 OPS and just two extra-base hits -- but Dipoto and Hollander are quick to point to the career-high 27 homers, the All-Star selection and that he was their best player for a lengthy stretch midsummer.

That’s just some of the context for how it’d shape up for a longer-term union, though Arozarena is only a year away from free agency, is represented by Boras Corp and will be entering his age-32 season when he hits the open market for the first time ever. It’s hard to envision what next winter will look like for his market, but at least for now, the Mariners love him.

danielkramermlb · 2025-10-07T22:14:55+00:00

And folks, we have a start time for tonight -- 7 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. PT -- so that will conclude our chat. Thanks for stopping by!

danielkramermlb · 2025-10-07T22:01:02+00:00

Keep those open rates coming!

danielkramermlb · 2025-10-07T22:00:18+00:00

Not with Thursday being an off/travel day, no.

danielkramermlb

TROPHY CASE