The Mariners have enough work to do at the plate without putting Randy Arozarena’s production on their list of offseason needs. Despite divided feelings about Arozarena, there’s a problem with letting him walk. Seattle would enter an offseason devoted to improving its offense by creating another sizable hole in it. Before we applaud the fact that the Mariners would “save money” (which would be a weird thing to applaud), we need to see who is standing in left field and where the missing offense is coming from.

Arozarena finished 2026 with a .281/.381/.484 slash line, 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases. An offense that disappointed still had a hitter getting on base at a .381 clip and doing damage once he got there. Doesn’t Seattle need more of that? Watching it leave would simply make the assignment harder.

The Athletic projects a five-year, $124 million contract for Arozarena and lists the Mariners among his best fits. That’s the prediction, and a substantial commitment to a player who turns 32 before next season. Also, you have to believe his agent, Scott Boras, will be sure to command as much as Arozarena can possibly get.

To be fair, this is the Mariners. We can take the financial risk seriously. But we should take the baseball risk of losing him just as seriously.

The Mariners Would Have to Replace Randy Arozarena Before Improving

There is an easy way to make an offseason sound productive: talk about all the possibilities created by available payroll.

Then the games start, and we all start asking who’s going to hit?

If Arozarena leaves, Seattle’s first offensive addition could spend much of its value covering what the Mariners already had. Sign a capable replacement in left field, and the lineup might simply return to its starting point. That’s not ideal.

That distinction belongs at the center of this decision. Replacing a productive hitter takes resources that could have gone toward making the rest of the order deeper.

Arozarena also gives Seattle several ways to generate offense. The OBP matters on the nights the ball stays in the park. The power can change a game. But his speed gives pitchers and defenses another problem after he reaches.

We should be wary of treating that combination as something the Mariners can casually recreate through a handful of smaller, cash saving moves. Each signing would come with its own price, its own uncertainty and its own chance of disappointing.

Seattle’s Replacement Plan Deserves the Same Scrutiny as His Contract

Arozarena’s age makes the length of a potential deal uncomfortable. The Mariners aren’t the kind of organization that would want any part of a five year deal for a 32 year old left fielder. They don’t want to carry a guy well into the portion of his career when declining speed and diminished production become reasonable concerns.

That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try to bring Arozarena back. They should have a limit. They should also have a convincing answer if another club exceeds it.

We can only hope that they have a list of names, expected production and a lineup that looks stronger when the work is finished. A cheaper left fielder would settle only the question of who plays left field.

And re-signing Arozarena would leave plenty of work, too. Keeping one productive bat cannot become the excuse for running it back. It would only preserve something worth building around.

The standard for this offseason should be for the Mariners to build a better lineup. If Seattle gets there after letting Arozarena leave, the plan deserves credit. Until then, the missing bat belongs in the conversation.