Cohesion will be key as Mariners move on from 2026

MLB Network insider Jon Morosi watches a lot of Seattle Mariners baseball, as he joins Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on a weekly basis to discuss the team. During his conversation with hosts Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton on Wednesday, a day after the Mariners clinched their first losing record in a full season in seven years, Morosi pointed out something that he realized has been missing for the M’s in 2026.

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“There is one adjective that, in my opinion, has never applied to the 2026 Seattle Mariners, and that is cohesive,” Morosi said. “They’ve been talented. They have at limited times had success. But at no point have I watched this team play for a week and said, you know what, this is a very cohesive group. Never. I have not had that thought.

“The teams that are having success right now, Milwaukee is very cohesive. The Phillies in their own way are a very cohesive group. You can go down the list. You’re not making the playoffs and having a good run at this time of year unless you have some cohesion to you, and the Mariners are the exact opposite. … They are the opposite of cohesive right now. And that will have to be addressed.”

One way the Mariners can address the need for cohesion, Morosi said, is going down a road they’re familiar with, which is bringing in a veteran who can contribute in the clubhouse as much as in the lineup. In previous years, the Mariners have made in-season trades for those exact kind of players, specially Carlos Santana on the 2022 postseason drought-busting team, Justin Turner in 2024, and Eugenio Suárez for the 2025 squad that won Seattle’s first AL West title in 24 years. Morosi went even further back in team history for an example.

“Part of the answer could be what different personnel (is brought in),” Morosi said. “… Those types of players are not in the game as much as they used to be. The veteran who is maybe a part-time player who’s got a lot of leadership and experience and is a uniter. Those guys, they’re not paid for what they’re worth anymore. The Justin Turners, who I know we talked about in the past, of course. You think about when the Mariners had that good run in 2009 (when they went 85-77), the importance of a Mike Sweeney. We don’t have as many Mike Sweeneys left in the game anymore because the veteran players are sort of guided out unless they’re super-duper stars because they’re expensive.

“So that is the type of player… who has that same kind of a profile in the game with instant respect. That’s the kind of guy, in my view, the Mariners should look to bring in. Who yes, can still play – you’ve got to still be able to play and stay healthy – but who has some value beyond the numbers because of what you mean as a uniter. This is a team that is in need of some uniting. And it’s an open question how they do it, but they need to do it.”

Wyman and Bob airs live from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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