“We love Gen. Geno brings a lot, not only on the field, the things that people see… but also off the fieldHollander said. ‘His steady presence, great makeup, [and] what he brings to a clubhouse every day is very difficult to replicate. So we kept in touch with Geno’s representatives all winter.”
It was known that re-signing Naylor was Seattle’s clear priority as the offseason began, with reports indicating that Polanco and Suarez (in that order) being looked at were the next items on the checklist. The fact that Naylor signed in mid-November gave the M’s some additional flexibility in entering the rest of the market, and from conversations with Polanco, the Mariners reportedly made a two-year offer at least close to the Mets’ $40 million figure.
It is unknown if the Mariners made a concrete offer to Suarez to perhaps see which of Suarez or Polanco accepted first, or if the M’s continued to delve too deeply into discussions with Suarez until Polanco’s fate was decided. Even with Polanco now off the market, Seattle has also been linked to such prominent trade targets Brendan Donovan And Kettle MarteSo substantive negotiations with Suarez may be postponed until one or both of these infielders are dealt, or if talks with the Cardinals or Diamondbacks fail.
If Suarez were to return to the Mariners, he would likely be used more as a DH than a regular third baseman. Depending on which defensive metric you choose, Suarez has been an overall average to below-average third baseman for several years, and both Defensive Runs Saved (-6) and Outs Above Average (-3) were unimpressed with his glovework in 2025. The M’s have enough good in-house third base options that the team has primarily looked at help at second base, and Suarez may be virtually the only free agent third baseman on Seattle’s radar due to his past. with the franchise.
The Cubs and Red Sox have also been linked to Suarez’s market this winter, but again, it is unknown if either of those teams or other suitors have put a contract on the table for the 34-year-old slugger. It was a pretty cool market for a player coming off a 49-home run season, but Suarez’s age, high strikeout rate and subpar defense are warning signs for any team considering a long-term commitment. It also didn’t help that Suarez’s production fell sharply after he was dealt from the Diamondbacks to the Mariners at the trade deadline.
MLB Trade Rumors still ranked Suarez 20th on our list of the winter’s 50 best free agents, predicting he would land a three-year, $63 million deal. That contract still seems possible, as there is still plenty of time left in the offseason, and the market is sure to see plenty of twists and turns as free agents come off the board and other players change teams on the trade market. While a hometown cut may or may not be feasible, it’s fair to assume Suarez could favor the Mariners over other teams due to his familiarity with the clubhouse and the likelihood that Seattle will be postseason contenders again in 2026 and beyond.
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