Mariners and More: What MLB insider is hearing before winter meetings

As the focus of baseball next week is turned to Dallas, which will host the annual winter meetings, many will have a split focus with interest in what their team as well as the national stories. Jon Morosi of MLB Network will be there to cover it all, and on his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, indulged the hosts with talk of both.

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Of particular interest on the national scene is who will be the winner of the Juan Soto sweepstakes. Morosi sees Soto as desiring not just the big dollars, but also for the eyes of one of the biggest markets in the US to be on him. Morosi believes either side of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry as attractive to the superstar, as well as the Mets. And what about the world champion Dodgers, who enjoy an enormous spotlight?

“I don’t think the Dodgers are going to be the most desperate team,” Morosi said. “I’m of the mind that Juan Soto will sign with the team that is the most desperate to get him.”

Morosi put the Red Sox firmly in that category as a team that has slipped in their relevance in recent years.

“You think about the 2018 World Series and and how many years ago that was, and think about the Red Sox in the last six years. How many big moments and big memories do you have since?” he asked. “They’ve had, by their standards, a relatively nondescript period of time. And I do think they’re motivated to change that.”

The belief is the Yankees will have something to say about that, likely having a chance to match Soto’s best offer. But the question is, are they motivated to go above and beyond?

“I’m just not sure that they’re going to go to that extreme extent with the dollars, because they have other things they have to address,” Morosi said. “Even if they sign Soto, that just gets them back to being close to as good as they were in 2024, which wasn’t good enough to win the World Series. They’ve got to figure out first base, their bullpen. They need a starting pitcher. This team is not one player away from being the best team in baseball, even if his name is Juan Soto. So I think the Yankees, certainly they’re in there, but I don’t think they’re desperate. I think that they may have a line that they draw before the line of the Mets.”

Morosi was not willing to offer a prediction of where the slugger would ultimately land but saw the wind blowing in one particular direction.

“My barometer of where things stand right now, I just think the dynamics are such that if I had to guess – and it’s a guess right now – of where the most likely place is, I would say the Mets.”

Checking in on the M’s

While many believe the Soto decision will be made in a matter of days, when it comes to the Seattle Mariners, their picture remains hazy at this point. Morosi did shed light on one of the most recent items generating buzz, however: the news that the Mariners and Phillies had engaged in talks about a trade for third baseman Alec Bohm.

“I do believe that there have been conversations about Bohm. I get the sense that they were maybe hotter a couple weeks ago than they are right now,” Morosi said, noting that is what he was told Wednesday. “The fit is there. The Phillies are are willing to move him, for sure.”

While noting in a visit with Wyman and Bob in mid-November that the Mariners would be wise to do their due diligence on the Phillies infielder, with the conversation centering around his maturity and potential offensive fit in T-Mobile Park, Morosi evaluated Bohm to be “at least solid average” defensively at third and possessing “undeniable run production.” For now, Bohm appears to at least remain on the Mariners’ radar.

“I think that possibility is there,” Morosi said. “It’s been talked about. They haven’t been able to line up on players (in trade proposals with) the Phillies. They’re not just gonna give them away. He’s still pretty good and not terribly expensive by his standards, either. I think that’s one possibility.”

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Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner is also known to be of interest to the Mariners. With the Cubs having a top infield prospect in Matt Shaw on the near horizon, Morosi believes Chicago third baseman Isaac Paredes should also be on the Mariners’ list.

“I think that Paredes would be available in the right deal,” he said. “Hoerner is a dynamic, just wizard with the glove at second base, one of the best in the world. I think Paredes is maybe not the class of defender that Hoerner is, but he’s a good offensive player who I think would really help the Mariners too. And he’s pretty good at avoiding strikeouts and putting the ball in play by the modern definition of that, which I think we know the Mariners really have to address that this offseason.”

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 the show, which airs live from 2-7 p.m. Monday through Friday on Seattle Sports.

More on the Seattle Mariners’ offseason

• Success of three types of hitters show what Mariners need to target
• Drayer: Mariners’ offensive hires show different approach to staff
• Mariners’ TV future: Reporter shares more of what he knows
• Is Cal Raleigh dropping his agent good news for Mariners?
• How one ESPN insider sees the Seattle Mariners this offseason

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