Could Mariners look to Alex Bregman as the answer at 2B?

The Seattle Mariners’ most obvious position of need this offseason is clear: second base.

And suddenly, there’s a new potential option in free agency at that position.

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Buckle up, because this one might require a complete 180 for Mariners as far as how they feel about the player.

Alex Bregman, a longtime nemesis of the Mariners as an All-Star-caliber member of the Houston Astros, is not only a free agent, but the longtime third baseman is willing to move to second base after undergoing elbow surgery, according to his agent, Scott Boras.

Could the Mariners actually try to bring in a player who is anything but a fan favorite in Seattle? On Wednesday’s edition of Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, MLB Network insider Jon Morosi answered the question.

“I would imagine that the Mariners will try,” Morosi said.

That being said, Morosi expects the M’s to have a few things not working in their favor when it comes to Bregman.

First off, as a member of the 2017 Houston team that used technology to steal signs from other teams on its way to a World Series title, Bregman has heard his fair share of boos when the Astros have visited Seattle’s T-Mobile Park over the years.

“He has had to wear the brunt of a lot of the criticism, along with (Jose) Altuve, going back to the the sign-stealing scandal,” Morosi said. “Players that have moved on or gone other places, they don’t seem to get booed as much as those who have remained in the Houston uniform. And so that’s a lot of years where Alex has heard boos in Seattle.

“We understand that sometimes – look, Johnny Damon went from playing for the Red Sox to playing for the Yankees, so if that can happen then anything could happen. But I think that that might in some way be an obstacle.”

It’s not the biggest obstacle in Bregman putting on a Mariners uniform according to Morosi, however. As a two-time All-Star who just just had his fifth career season with at least 20 homers while also winning his first career Gold Glove at third base, Bregman should have a robust market. And that’s never good news for the Mariners when they’re pursuing hitters in free agency because of the reputation their ballpark has for negatively impacting offense.

“To me, the bigger obstacle here is that we have seen a lot of players who have gone to Seattle – Mitch Garver being a recent example as a free agent – and not have great years,” Morosi said. “Now is it they’re putting too much pressure on themselves? Do they not like the hitting backdrop? There’s any number of different theories here in terms of why that is, and we’ve dissected them on this show before, but the reality is the perception is there. And what happened with whether it was Garver or (Jorge) Polanco (in 2024) didn’t exactly help that situation.”

Morosi expects the Mariners will made needed offensive improvements this offseason, whether or not they include Bregman.

“I’m sure that the Mariners will be part of that conversation because of their need at the infield positions … (but the ballpark’s effect) is a real thing for a player. And so I think for some of those reasons, it’s going to be a bit of a difficult stretch for the Mariners to maybe win the bidding for Bregman,” he said. “But ultimately you look down at other players that might fit your ballpark better or ball club better or price points better, and I have a lot of confidence in the front office that the lineup is going to be deeper one through nine than it was when the season ended.”

Hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation with MLB Network insider Jon Morosi in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Morosi is a weekly guest on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, which airs from 2-7 p.m. weekdays.

More Seattle Mariners offseason coverage

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• Which notable former Mariners are free agents this offseason?
• Mariners’ Cal Raleigh provides update on his injury status
• Mariners’ Mitch Haniger declines to exercise contract opt out
• Pair of Seattle Mariners win American League Gold Glove awards

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