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# Mariners Can’t Afford to Let Randy Arozarena Walk
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-mariners-randy-arozarena-free-agency/
- Published: 2026-09-16T00:12:03.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:10:19.000Z
- Author: Nick Lee
- Tags: Analysis, Mariners, Randy Arozarena

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The 2026 Mariners are one of - if not *the -* most disappointing teams in franchise history. With the 2025 version being just a few innings away from its first World Series berth, expectations were rightfully sky-high this year. And yet the team has completely face planted. 

But there are a few positives to glean from 2026.

The main story of this gut-punch year has been the massively disappointing offense in Seattle. Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, and Julio Rodríguez are the main culprits in dragging the offense down when they should be the ones lifting the team to higher heights, as none of them have an OPS above .700 in a year where the league average for OPS is .720\. Even with the park factors in play for these Mariners, all of those well-paid stars have been below league average.

One player, however, has met and even exceeded expectations: Randy Arozarena is putting together the finest season of his eight-year career. His .278 average, .852 OPS, and 148 wRC+ all are career highs over a full season, while his 25 homers are just two shy of his career high he posted last season. With 11 games remaining in 2026, there’s still a solid chance he can surpass that benchmark, too.

The Mariners don’t have a great track record of right-handed hitters succeeding at T-Mobile Park. Rodríguez was bucking that trend until this massively disappointing 2026, while other players like Taylor Ward and Rob Refsnyder never got going in SoDo. Arozarena offers a strong argument that it’s possible for the right righty to succeed, and so perhaps it would be unwise for Seattle to let such a hitter get away in free agency.

No Mariners right-handed hitter has put together a better season than Arozarena’s 148 wRC+ since Nelson Cruz back in 2015\. Since 2000, only Cruz, Alex Rodriguez, Bret Boone, and Edgar Martinez posted a better wRC+ from the right side of the plate in a Mariners uniform than Arozarena in 2026.

The reaction of some fans will likely revolve around his, at times, lackadaisical defense in left field or running the bases. Those are fair criticisms. This season, he has a -5 outs above average (OAA) - 11th percentile in the outfield - and -1 defensive runs saved (DRS). However, his 23 steals mark the six straight season he reached 20 stolen bases, and while his 1.2 baserunning runs added according to FanGraphs aren’t exceptionally strong, it’s still an added bonus.

Despite all that, Arozarena having success from the right side in Seattle is not something they can afford to let walk out the door. You can stomach some negative plays defensively from your team’s best hitter, which Arozarena has been for the 2026 Mariners. His 5.1 FanGraphs WAR leads the team by a large margin, nearly doubling Julio Rodriguez’s 2.8 mark.

This is looking to be a cold, dark winter in baseball with a looming lockout. During a lockout, teams cannot sign or trade for players. Free agency will be frozen. Arozarena is set to be a free agent this winter. Perhaps the Mariners can take advantage of an uncertain climate and get a deal done for their outfielder. The advantage Seattle has is that they can negotiate with Arozarena on an extension before the season ends.

This does not feel like a likely scenario. However, for a team desperate for some good momentum after a gut-wrenching season, this would be a move to excite the fanbase. The Mariners should get a deal done with Arozarena while he’s still in their building, if he is willing to entertain the idea.