Sure, the Mariners can make a pretty good case for sitting out the Teruaki Sato bidding. But let’s hear them make one for who’s playing third base. The Seattle Times reports that the Mariners are expected to stay out of the bidding for the Hanshin Tigers slugger, who hit 39 home runs in 143 games this past season. The initial idea had legs. Seattle is likely to lose Randy Arozarena’s bat and could use more offense at third. A 39-homer hitter looks like a way to address both problems with one signing.

Sato won a Gold Glove at third in Japan in 2025, but the Times reports that most MLB clubs project him as a left fielder. He’d also add another left-handed bat to a lineup that already leans that way, and his 164 strikeouts led Japan’s Central League. Scouts cited by the Times worry that his tendency to chase will give big league pitchers even more room to exploit him. And to be fair, strikeouts are sore trouble in Seattle. We’d want the power, but still, it’s understandable why the Mariners would balk at entering a bidding frenzy for a guy projected to be pushed to the outfield.

Eugenio Suárez Has the Power the Mariners Need

Suárez is worth a call on a short, affordable deal. Geno hit 26 homers in 125 games for Cincinnati last season, and we know how quickly he can carry a lineup when he gets hot. He heated up late after hitting just eight homers through the first three months. That sounds like the streaky hitter we’ve grown to love. He finished the season batting .212. At 35, there’s room for his right-handed power if the price reflects the cold stretches and Seattle trusts him to handle regular innings at third. 

If the Mariners see him spending most of his time at DH, it simply wouldn’t be worth it. He’d be eating at reps that would go to Cal Raleigh when he needs a day off from catching, Lazaro Montes who needs more swings, and Dominic Canzone who’s trying to build off a breakout 2026 season.

Alec Bohm is the easier name to pencil in at third. He was Philadelphia’s regular there and gives Seattle another right-handed option. But he hit 15 homers with a .698 OPS in 155 games this year. That’s not something that would translate well in T-Mobile Park. To call that an upgrade, we’d have to bet on a rebound and a power surge. Edmundo Sosa makes more sense as depth who can cover multiple infield spots. We’d still be looking for a bat that changes the lineup.

Brendan Donovan Gives Seattle a Reason to Be Picky

Brendan Donovan can handle third and get on base. Having him there gives the Mariners a reason to be picky about what they pay for a replacement. Colt Emerson, meanwhile, already has enough on his plate. The Times reports Seattle is moving on from J.P. Crawford, which puts Emerson in the shortstop conversation after a rookie season in which he hit .190 in 241 plate appearances. Give him a chance to earn the job without counting on his bat to cover whatever the front office leaves undone.

We’d check in with Eugenio Suárez’s agent about a short, affordable deal. If Geno’s market goes beyond that, we’re fine with Brendan Donovan at third. Go spend on power somewhere else. Between the questions about Sato’s glove and how much he chases, we can see why Seattle would sit out a bidding war.