What Dipoto said Mariners’ top offseason priority is

The Seattle Mariners are looking to retool their roster this offseason in order to rebound next year from a disappointing 2026 season.

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At MLB’s general manager meetings in Las Vegas on Tuesday, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told MLB Network’s Jon Morosi what the team’s biggest priorities are.

“The left side of our infield, the left side of our outfield are both areas of need. We feel like we’re versatile enough in those positions to mix and match and make it work,” Dipoto said. “A priority for us is to get better offensively, but the max priority is to button up our defense.”

"A priority for us is to get better offensively, but the max priority is to button up our defense, so however that looks at the end of this and if that includes a star from the NPB then that would be even better."

– Jerry Dipoto on the Mariners offseason pic.twitter.com/YT3PXdPWzL

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 11, 2026

It doesn’t come as much surprise that the Mariners have identified defense as the No. 1 area they need to improve. According to Baseball Savant’s fielding run value defensive metric, the M’s ranked last in baseball at minus-59, well behind the 29th-ranked Los Angeles Angels’ minus-44. It was a massive year-over-year drop for Seattle, which posted a minus-26 in fielding run value during 2025 when it won the American League West and reached Game 7 of the AL Championship Series. Only the 121-loss Chicago White Sox in 2024 and 107-loss Washington Nationals in 2022 have posted worse numbers over the past five seasons than the M’s did in 2026.

Other defensive metrics also graded the M’s as a poor defensive team in ’26. Their minus-55 outs above average were last and minus-23 defensive runs saved were 26th.

As for the more traditional defensive stats, the M’s were 18th with a .985 fielding percentage. They also committed 88 errors, the 13th-most leaguewide.

The left side of Seattle’s defense was a major part of the problem. It was last in fielding run value at third base at minus-12, tied for last with minus-15 at shortstop and 29th with minus-12 in left field. Those three positions combined for nearly two-thirds of Seattle’s negative defensive value.

It is expected that at least two of three players who spent the most time at those positions – left fielder Randy Arozarena and shortstop J.P. Crawford – will not be back next season after hitting free agency, with reports surfacing Tuesday that the M’s have already informed Crawford they will not bring him back. Arozarena was extended a qualifying offer but isn’t expected to accept it.

Some of the top defensive players in this year’s free-agent class are three-time utility Gold Glove winner Mauricio Dubón, outfielder and 2024 Gold Glove winner Daulton Varsho, and left fielder and four-time Gold Glove winner Ian Happ.

Right fielder Seiya Suzuki is also coming off his best defensive season after posting five ousts above average and 14 defensive runs saved in 2026. The Seattle Times reported Tuesday the Mariners have interest in Suzuki, who they previously attempted to court when he was posted by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball in 2021.

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