Mariners Offseason Roundtable: Drayer, Salk and Rowland-Smith

With free agency just getting underway and the Hot Stove ready to be fired up, we once again kick off the not-so-offseason for the Seattle Mariners with a two-part roundtable, with Mike Salk and Mariners broadcaster Ryan Rowland-Smith joining me in the Seattle Sports video lounge for a good dose of M’s talk.

Morosi: Mariners are one of MLB’s ‘most fascinating’ teams this offseason

In Part 1, we attempt to set the stage for what is to come with a brief look back at what was learned in 2025. What worked for Mariners in roster building and what were the areas where they came up short? We take a look at the needs of the team and the tricky balance they will have to try to achieve when bringing up young and ready talent next season.

Talent acquisition of course is first and foremost on the mind this time of the year, and we start that conversation which is continued into Part 2. How critical is it the Mariners sign Josh Naylor, and should signing Jorge Polanco be a similar priority? What will be next assuming both get signed? Is a trade for Tarik Skubal, the Seattle U product who favored to win his second straight American League Cy Young Award, truly a possibility?

In assessing the needs, the issue of how concerned we should be about regression in 2026 is addressed, and that leads to a bigger conversation on balance and how it can be achieved. Could the safety net next season be something that was an area of weakness was in ’25?

A total of 45 minutes of Mariners conversation can be found here, with Part 1 in the video player at the top of the post, and Part 2 below. You can also find it in podcast form on the Hot Stove feed at this link, on the Seattle Sports app, or by clicking to listen on either Apple or Spotify.

Seattle Mariners offseason coverage

• What it could cost Mariners to re-sign Jorge Polanco
• Japanese power hitter Munetaka Murakami enters MLB posting system
• Seattle Mariners add a reliever with interesting backstory
• Two Mariners prospects named Arizona Fall League All-Stars
• Should the Seattle Mariners go all-in on a trade for ace Skubal?

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