Mariners general manager Justin Hollander already confirmed earlier in the season that the club had discussed a reunion Justin Turnerand they are on the verge of meeting another former Mariner. Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports that the M’s have spoken with the first-round free agent Carlos Santanawho spent part of the 2022 season in Seattle. Jude cites multiple sources who add that the interest in bringing one of the two back to Seattle is strong enough that it is considered “likely” that the Mariners will close a deal with one of them.
Santana, who turns 39 in April, is fresh off her best year since 2019. He spent the 2024 campaign in Minnesota, serving as the Twins’ everyday first baseman and winning a Golden Glove for his defensive efforts there. He also slashed .238/.328/.420 with 23 homers in 594 plate appearances. That’s good for a solid 114 wRC+ (which shows he’s been 14% better than league average at the plate), but putting aside the disastrous first three weeks of the season, Santana hit .253/.342/.460 (129 wRC+, or better 29% above average) after hitting his first homer in late April.
That kind of production would attract almost any club, especially when combined with an excellent defense and a stellar clubhouse reputation. That last factor is a key part of the Mariners’ interest in Turner and Santana, per Jude. At the end of the season, president of baseball Jerry Dipoto expressed a desire to add veteran voices to help lead the young clubhouse, Jude writes, specifically casting both Turner and Santana as examples of players who have played important leadership roles. seasonally in Seattle.
There are other reasons to think both players fit the Mariners’ roster. Both Turner (17.6%) and Santana (16.7%) hit well below the league average of 22.6% in 2024. The Mariners’ overall strikeout rate of 26.8% was the worst in MLB. Lowering that number should be a priority, and even a first baseman can help the club take steps toward that goal.
Both Turner and Santana are also natural fits to be paired with Luke Raley in the beginning. Turner’s right-handed bat makes him a logical platoon partner at first, and he hits just right to pick up DH at-bats even when Raley starts. Santana’s glove may have pushed Raley into a primary DH/corner role, but the veteran hitter is best from the right side of the plate. In a Mariners club that hit just .213/.300/.363 against southpaws last year, Santana’s .286/.356/.578 hitting against lefties should prove especially appealing.
Either Santana or Turner should be available on a one-year contract. Santana will almost certainly command a raise from last year’s $5.25MM salary, while Turner could be in line for a cut from last year’s $13MM salary. Also, the Mariners’ clubhouse is expected to increase payroll, but probably not by leaps and bounds over the roughly $145MM mark where they finished the 2024 campaign, making any veteran a reasonable stone. RosterResource currently projects the Mariners at a $150MM cap hit, though that figure could change in the next 36 hours based on non-tenders and/or potential non-tender trades.
The Mariners have not been shy about their desire to add infield bats this offseason. Dipoto and Hollander expressed confidence in the outfield mix Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez, Victor Robles and Raley. They are looking to add a bat who can spend time at first base and a second baseman or third baseman – with Josh Rojas again Dylan Moore they are standing as candidates for elections elsewhere. Turner or Santana can check one box and do both affordably and while improving the team’s communication level.
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