Mariners could pursue Cardinals slugger to bolster offense for 2025
The Seattle Mariners fell just one game short of the postseason, finishing with a record of 85-77 in 2024.
They have an elite pitching staff that keeps them in games, but their offense leaves a lot to be desired, even with stars such as Randy Arozarena, Cal Raleigh, and Julio Rodriguez in the starting lineup.
The underperforming offense is what ultimately cost them a spot in the playoffs. But they could potentially look to upgrade that area for 2025.
Josh Jacobs of FanSided listed the Mariners as a potential fit for St. Louis Cardinals slugger Willson Contreras.
“Seattle feels like such an obvious fit to me,” Jacobs wrote. “They have the young pitching that would be of interest to St. Louis, and they badly need bats for their lineup to get them over the hump.”
St. Louis is about to enter a rebuild and likely won’t be postseason bound until at least 2026. But they could get a lot of solid pieces for Contreras.
The Mariners have arms such as Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, and Emerson Hancock that could be dangled in trade conversations.
This move would also give the Mariners an elite bat. One issue they might run into is at the catcher position. Raleigh is already entrenched at that spot, but Seattle could make Contreras the designated hitter, similarly to what they did with Mitch Garver.
The Mariners could still have an elite starting rotation but also finally have the bat they need to get over the hump and possibly challenge the Houston Astros for the top spot in the American League West.
It will be interesting to see how Seattle approaches the offseason and if they will target Contreras. They do have pieces that could help St. Louis right away if they want to bolster their lineup.
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