'This group has what it takes': Mariners confident amidst high '25 expectations

PEORIA, Ariz. -- As Justin Hollander¡¯s name buzzed across Logan Gilbert¡¯s phone screen in early December, the Mariners All-Star experienced a brief moment of angst.

¡°I thought I was getting traded when I saw his name pop up,¡± Gilbert said of Seattle¡¯s general manager. ¡°Every time. And they know, too, because right away it's, 'Hey, how are you doing? You're not getting traded, don't worry about it.'¡±

Such were the stakes this winter in Seattle, where for the second straight offseason, Hollander and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto fielded calls from other teams inquiring about pitchers in their elite starting rotation, even after a public declaration at season¡¯s end calling it ¡°Plan Z.¡±

Yet, given that the Mariners had a budget of what sources have said was roughly $15 million to spend on external talent, and that very few, if any, teams were interested in what Seattle was trying to sell in trade talks -- top-end prospects -- Hollander and Dipoto were forced to at least listen to teams interested in their starters.

The only real smoke that manifested were discussions involving Luis Castillo, and negotiations never reached a point where the Mariners asked ¡°La Piedra¡± if he¡¯d be willing to waive the no-trade clause that he carries through 2025.

To be clear, the Mariners never wanted or intended to trade a starter. But that they were in extended discussions with teams like the Red Sox and Cubs about their three-time All-Star spoke to the state of the organization within a perceived World Series window. Fair or not, based on the resources that were allocated to them, Dipoto and Hollander drew criticism from national media and a faction of frustrated fans throughout the winter for, to put it simply, not doing more.

Players saw and heard the noise, too.

¡°Guys know what's going on,¡± said Cal Raleigh, who¡¯s blossomed into a team leader and clubhouse spokesman. ¡°It's what we do. It's our livelihood. We are part of the Mariners. As much as guys say, 'I don't pay attention to that stuff,' they're lying -- because everybody pays attention. Because we care.

"We care about it. We want to win, and we care about this team. Everybody here does. So, yeah, we understand what people were saying.¡±

Added fellow team leader J.P. Crawford: ¡°Obviously with social media, you can't not look at it. But that's not my job. I'm here to play shortstop. Whoever you get, you get. Whoever you don't get, I trust every guy in here. Everyone puts in their work here. You¡¯ve got to respect that about every player.¡±

There¡¯s a sentiment of understanding among core players to what was and wasn¡¯t realistic this winter.

¡°We can't control what does go on or doesn't go on,¡± Raleigh said. ¡°What we can control is us. I believe in our guys here. It's one of those things where we can sit around and feel bad for ourselves in a way, or we can go out there and we can take it and we can make ourselves better.¡±

Despite a trove of free agents who would have been a strong fit, cost or player interest precluded the Mariners from making any splashes.

¡°There are two sides to it,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°You want the very best players that you can have on a team. I don't think that's an unreal, unreasonable thing. I think every team wants that. But we also believe that we have a really good team as is right now.

"We saw that last year with the 10-game lead [in the division and] with all other kinds of stuff. And yeah, there were big negatives too, and we gave it up and stuff like that. But when we're at our best, I think we have the pieces that we need right here.¡±

On the free-agent front, the Mariners were at the finish line with Carlos Santana before he decided to return to Cleveland (one-year, $12 million deal) for less than what Seattle offered (a one-year deal with a 2026 option and more guaranteed money).

Among other first basemen, the Mariners pursued Christian Walker early, but they quickly moved on knowing his price tag would eventually reach the three-year, $60 million deal he received from Houston. Pete Alonso, who wound up signing a shorter deal than expected with the Mets, still netted $54 million over two years, making him unrealistic from the outset.

On the trade market, Dipoto and Hollander were forced to constantly pivot. They pursued Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner, Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas and Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, each of whom stayed put given that their teams were seeking MLB-ready talent and not prospects. But Seattle was more interested in Nathaniel Lowe, whom Texas dealt out of the division to Washington. The Mariners even considered 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger, who was instead traded from Chicago to the Yankees.

So, still needing two infielders in mid-January, Seattle signed 37-year-old Donovan Solano ($3.5 million) and a bounceback candidate from last year¡¯s team, Jorge Polanco ($7.75 million), to one-year deals. And as it stands, the Mariners¡¯ Opening Day lineup will look almost identical to the one with which they finished 2024.

¡°I feel very confident about running this thing back,¡± manager Dan Wilson said. ¡°When you look at what we did down the stretch with this group, it gives you a lot of excitement, gives you a lot of hope.¡±

To be sure, despite the quiet winter, Wilson¡¯s sentiment is also shared by many players.

¡°A lot of us you can say didn't have the best year and some things were happening too,¡± said Julio Rodr¨ªguez, alluding to the Aug. 22 managerial change that saw Wilson replace Scott Servais. ¡°I just think we have a really talented group. Maybe a lot of people don't want to see it like that, but that's their opinion. And I don't personally really care about that.

"I just think that this group has what it takes, and I feel like that's something that will continue to be focused on.¡±

The Mariners finished 21-13 under Wilson and showed far more offensive consistency. The front office¡¯s calculus for 2025 is banking on that strong finish, spearheaded by the rotation and MVP-type production from Rodr¨ªguez in September, along with hopeful bouncebacks from Crawford and Polanco, who each grinded through injuries.

But there¡¯s still a cognizance that many things must go right -- and over six months, not six weeks.

¡°I don't necessarily think it's a, 'Oh, it just happened, so it's going to translate,¡¯¡± Raleigh said. ¡°No, we have to show up, and we have to start these things now.¡±

If there was restlessness this offseason, it has abated since the team arrived in Arizona. Big leaguers are wired with confidence, and among this core that¡¯s been together for three-plus years, there¡¯s loyalty and trust. The 2025 Mariners believe that chemistry can breed winning -- and they believe that the group here is capable of overcoming last year¡¯s shortcomings and breaking back through to October.