Could Seattle Mariners Sign Randy Arozarena to Contract Extension?

Arozarena, 30, will be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, leading some Mariners fans to start the #ExtendArozarena movement on social media.

So, what's at play when it comes to a potential Arozarena contract extension? Let's take a look:

The basic options

• The Mariners could offer Arozarena an extension right now, ripping up the final year of his contract and starting a new deal next season.

• The Mariners could just play Arozarena in 2026, and then try to re-sign him as a free agent to a longer-term deal after the season, but be in competition with the rest of the league.

• The Mariners could play Arozarena in 2026, offer him a qualifying offer, and hope he takes it, putting him on a one-year deal rather than a longer-term deal. If Arozarena turned it down, the M's would get draft pick compensation.

• The Mariners could trade him this offseason, or next season.

Let's presume that trading Arozarena is not on the table, so let's look at the other factors here.

Reasons for an extension

• Power and speed combo players just don't come along that often. Arozarena has gone 20/20 in five consecutive seasons. There's value in that kind of performance.

• Arozarena is comfortable in T-Mobile Park and playing in Seattle. That doesn't happen every day and the idea of losing Arozarena at some point means the Mariners have to replace him, which they haven't necessarily been prone to doing well in the past.

• Arozarena gets along well with Julio Rodriguez, his outfield mate and one of the most key members of the M's roster. Team chemistry matters.

• The Mariners don't have outfield prospects coming up to take his place. While Seattle is full of infield prosepcts, Lazaro Montes and Jonny Farmelo aren't replacement options for him, at least not yet.

• Also, Victor Robles is a free agent after the 2026 season also. Do the Mariners want to have to replace both Arozarena and Robles after next year? Is that something they are physically able to do? For a team that doesn't have a great track record on the free agent market, not necessarily.

Reasons against an extension

• Arozarena is 30 years old, and will play next season at 31. As he ages, his speed, bat speed, and already questionable defensive work, will erode, at least a little bit. Do the Mariners want to be tied to him deep into his mid-30s?

• Of course, there's always the money. How much does Arozarena w ant? Do the Mariners and him meet up on a possible value?

Other complicating factors

As noted on the Refuse to Lose podcast on Thursday, the Players Association and the owners are headed for labor strife after the 2026 season, when Arozarena is scheduled to hit free agency. Does the potential threat of a salary cap, or a lost season, impact how he feels about his contract situation?

Could he be compelled to take an early offer in order to head that trouble off? We discussed with Buster Olney below:

Final opinion

If I were running the Mariners, I would offer Arozarena an extension right now. I would offer him a two-year contract extension, getting him for 2026, 2027 and 2028. I would offer him three total years and $75 million in a heartbeat, and I'd likely have some kind of fourth-year option. If I c an get Arozarena for age 31, 32 and 33, then I have a chance to mitigate some of the speed losses that are sure to come in the coming years.

I also wouldn't blame Arozarena for not wanting to take that, and for wanting to get free agency. And if he's hellbent on doing that, then I have to be prepared for 2026 to be the last year for him in Seattle. And if he performs like this season again in 2026, he will have one the battle, and I'll be forced to re-evaluate my position.