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Five Third Base Upgrades for the Seattle Mariners

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Trading for Josh Jung may seem far-fetched, but he would be an unquestionable upgrade at third base for the Mariners.

An important box to check on the shopping list for Seattle Mariners President of Baseball Ops Jerry Dipoto is third base. Dipoto and Co. let almost their entire 2024 infield walk, but they have yet to make any replacements. In 2024, the Mariners struggled to lock down a replacement for Eugenio Suárez. A fan favorite, Suárez was traded by Seattle in the offseason to cut down on strikeouts. After leaving Seattle, Suarez had his least amount of strikeouts since 2021. While Josh Rojas was an excellent defender, he wasn’t exactly the power presence Seattle needed.

With almost an entire infield needed, and little time left before spring training, here are five third basemen Seattle can look at.

Five Potential Upgrades at Third Base for the Mariners

5. José Tena, Washington Nationals

Does José Tena have a very limited sample size in the major leagues? Yes, but his 44 games in 2024 with the Washington Nationals showed extreme promise and he absolutely raked at every level in the minors. Sure, Tena didn’t exactly light the world on fire. Tena hit .267 with an OPS of .652. In 2024, he struck out 26% of the time in 2024, as opposed to the MLB average of 22%. He also walked less than the average hitter, at a 5% walk rate.

Strikeouts are a problem for Seattle hitters, but Tena is young. The 23-year-old has plenty of time to develop his game. He crushes the ball. His exit velocity and hard-hit percentages were well above average, per Baseball Savant. He also has a cannon of an arm and provides another speed threat for Seattle to utilize. Washington is a team in turmoil and can look to find some close-to-MLB-ready prospects Seattle can more than provide.

4. Josh Jung, Texas Rangers

There’s an incredibly long list of reasons why this trade just wouldn’t happen. Texas wouldn’t want to send an All-Star caliber third baseman to a divisional rival. Meanwhile, Seattle wouldn’t want to help replenish the farm system of their own divisional rival. But this trade actually makes more sense than you might think.

For starters, the Rangers desperately need to resupply their farm. MLB Network had their farm ranking at #26 in 2024. Also, Josh Jung missed three-quarters of 2024, which allowed guys like Josh Smith a chance to thrive. Texas also added first baseman Jake Burger earlier this offseason, so with the likes of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, their infield is not lacking bodies. Seattle is no stranger to making intra-divisional moves either.

Jung was a pivotal part of the Rangers’ 2023 World Series run, so he comes with postseason experience, something Seattle needs. While he is more of a strikeout guy, with a career 29.6% K rate, his ability to hit for power and average make up for that, with 35 home runs and 100 RBI in less than 200 career games. Jung, 26, could be the long-term Kyle Seager replacement at third base the Mariners have been trying to find since 2021.

3. David Fry, Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland has had a pretty major infield shakeup so far this offseason. Josh Naylor and Andrés Giménez, two mainstays in the Guardians infield, were shipped off to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Toronto Blue Jays, respectively. So, why stop now? Cleveland has already found their replacements for both of those guys. They signed veteran and Guardians legend Carlos Santana to fill in at first, with Daniel Schneemann slated to take second base.

David Fry spent most of his time at DH in 2024, yet another position of need for Seattle. In fact, he pretty much checks off every box. First base, third base, catcher, DH, all three outfield spots, you name it. Just 29, Fry has shown massive improvement since his first year in the majors. He has the eye at the plate Seattle needs, walking at 9.9% while striking out at the league average of 22%. His OPS of .804 would’ve been second on the team behind Víctor Robles. His average of .263 would’ve been the fifth-best on the team, providing a reliable bat in the middle of the order.

2. Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals

The Mariners didn’t find themselves on the list of teams that Nolan Arenado would waive his no-trade clause for. But the two parties are kind of in the same boat. Both of them need to find a solution to their current problems, and they’re both running out of time to do so. Arenado has been an All-Star for three-quarters of his entire career. Sure, he hasn’t lived up to his 2022 All-Star season where he led the league in WAR (7.7), hit 30 home runs, and had an OPS of .890. But he’s still an elite bat. He’s played in almost every single game every year since 2015, offering the stability at third base the Mariners need.

He is 33 and reaching the tail end of his career, so he wouldn’t be a long-term solution, but he would look so good in teal and green. Even at 33, his OBP was still .325, with an elite K% (14.5), whiff rate, squared-up %, and sweet spot %. Still possessing his elite glove, Arenado would be a force at the top of the Mariners lineup. The biggest concern besides his age is his salary. He’s getting paid $32 million through 2028. Seattle would have to clear a lot of funding to be able to supply him.

1. Luis Rengifo, Los Angeles Angels

A well-known Mariner killer by the fanbase, Luis Rengifo is the high-average bat the Mariners lack. The last three seasons have seen him steadily improve into a capable MLB hitter. From 2022-2024, Rengifo has 6.4 WAR with 39 home runs and 133 RBI, hitting .273. He slashed .273/.323/.431 in that time period. 2024 saw him reach his batting average peak, hitting .300. The Mariners have had two hitters (Víctor Robles in 2024 & Jean Segura in 2018) reach the .300 mark in at least the 78 games Rengifo played in since 2018.

A great baserunner who saw his stolen base tally quadruple, Rengifo also has an elite eye at the plate. He walked at a below-average rate of 7%, but also struck out well below the average rate of 22% (18%). The Angels‘ plan for 2025 remains to be seen. With a bat that has proven to translate well to Seattle, the Mariners could use him at third base and at the top of their order between Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena.

 

Photo Credit: © Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

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