May 12, 2018; Detroit, MI, USA; Hat and glove of Seattle Mariners center fielder Dee Gordon (9) sits in dugout during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Mariners Can Afford To Cut Ties With 5-Year Veteran

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 31, 2025 10:12 AM ET

The Seattle Mariners, unfortunately, are on the outside looking in right now with the World Series still in full swing.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are still duking it out for the trophy, as of writing, and the Mariners are among the 28 other teams in Major League Baseball having to start to think about the 2026 season. Seattle was so close to making it to its first World Series in franchise history. As close as you can get without making it, being Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

Now, the Mariners have to try to flush all of that away and find a way to get even better in 2026. Those decisions will come. There will be free agent additions, maybe some trades, and other things of that nature. But, with the offseason here, teams have to also take care of some tasks right away, including the Nov. 21st deadline for player to decide whether to give contracts to arbitration-eligible players.

It will be some of the first big decisions of the offseason. MLB.com Mariners insider Daniel Kramer did a primer for the offseason and one player they suggested could be non-tendered is veteran reliever Tayler Saucedo.

"Who might be a non-tender candidate, and when does the club have to make that decision?
Teams have until Nov. 21 to decide whether to tender a contract to each of their arbitration-eligible players," Kramer said. "Those not tendered a contract will become free agents.

It would make sense to move on from Tayler Saucedo

"Among those criteria, reliever Tayler Saucedo is the clearest candidate, given that this is his second year of eligibility, that he’d earn at least the $937,500 figure from last year and that he spent most of 2025 with Triple-A Tacoma, where the lefty also missed two months with a left lat strain."

In an offseason that will have plenty of decisions, this is a suggestion that makes a lot of sense. Saucedo made only 10 appearances for the Mariners in 2025 and had a 7.43 ERA to show for it. He was steady for Seattle the two previous seasons in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, he had a 3.59 ERA in 52 outings. He followed up with a 3.49 ERA in 53 appearances in 2024.

Seattle had one of the better bullpens in baseball in 2025. The Mariners finished the regular season with the ninth-ranked bullpen ERA at 3.72 and that was with Saucedo only pitching in 10 games. If the Mariners are looking for some potential ways to save some cash, this would be a good way, but not to save a lot.

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This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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