The dominoes of free agency are finally starting to fall, and they’re yet to fall in favor of the Seattle Mariners.
A day after the Mariners biggest rivals, the Houston Astros, signed first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year, $60 million deal, the New York Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million contract.
The report originally came via MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Seattle was rumored to be interested in both Walker and Goldschmidt. The former’s cost was just on the fringe of the team’s available payroll and Goldschmidt’s age likely made his asking price hard to digest for the Mariners.
Goldschmidt, a 14-year veteran and seven-time All-Star, is coming off a season where he hit .245 with 22 home runs and 61 RBIs to go with 11 steals.
Seattle is still searching for a first baseman to pair with Luke Raley as well as a starter at second and third base, respectively.
Goldschmidt’s deal with New York limits the open options available on the free agent market. The Mariners could still reunite with Carlos Santana or Justin Turner, who will have less suitors due to Walker and Goldschmidt’s recent deals.
The Mariners were also rumored to be “in the mix” for Pete Alonso. But he’s expected to earn a longer contract with more annual money than Walker. And it’s unlikely Seattle will sign him unless it frees up salary via trade.
There’s also players the Mariners have had rumored interest in at first base dating back to the trade deadline such as the Tampa Bay Rays’ Yandy Diaz and Cleveland Guardians’ Josh Naylor.
Seattle has less options with 2025 on the horizon. But that also goes both ways for available players.
