The deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players has come and gone, with the Seattle Mariners non-tendering three relief pitchers: Gregory Santos, Trent Thornton and Tayler Saucedo.
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Santos was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $800,000 in 2026, and Thornton was projected to earn $2.5 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility.
Saucedo was designated for assignment earlier in the week to make room on the 40-man roster for relief pitcher Alex Hoppe, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox.
Santos was acquired from the White Sox in February 2024 for pitcher Prelander Berroa and outfielder Zach DeLoach, with the Mariners hoping he could fill a leverage role in the bullpen. Injuries limited him to 16 appearances in his two-year tenure with Seattle.
In 2025, Santos pitched seven innings in eight appearances early in the season, posting a 5.14 ERA while walking eight batters and not recording a strikeout. He now becomes a free agent.
Thornton suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon while attempting to cover first base on a play in early August and is not expected to be ready for the start of the 2026 season. While he does become a free agent, he is a candidate to return on a lesser deal.
Below is a list of the arbitration-eligible players the Mariners have tendered 2026 contracts to, along with their MLB Trade Rumors salary projections for next year:
Teams and players who have been tendered contracts can negotiate a 2026 salary up until arbitration hearings, which will be scheduled in February.
In total, the Mariners tendered contracts to 31 players – eight arbitration eligible, 23 pre-arbitration eligible – before the Friday afternoon deadline. With the moves, Seattle’s 40-man roster is at 38 players.
Teams and players who have been tendered contracts can negotiate a 2026 salary up until arbitration hearings, which will be scheduled in February.
In total, the Mariners tendered contracts to 31 players – eight arbitration eligible, 23 pre-arbitration eligible – before the Friday afternoon deadline. With the moves, Seattle’s 40-man roster is at 38 players.
November 23, 2025
Mariners’ Jorge Polanco gets $24 million contract update from MLB insider image
The Seattle Mariners quickly took care of their first business of the offseason when they signed Josh Naylor to a five-year contract.
That allowed them to immediately move on to the next task, which appears to be getting Jorge Polanco back.
The versatile, switch-hitting infielder is a free agent, too.
MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer wrote this weekend that Polanco could be seeking a deal in the two-year, $24 million territory.
The Mariners have been in contact with him.
“Polo is a great guy, and we have been in touch with him and his people,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told reporters.
It could take a little while, though.
“I don’t imagine that it’s going to move as fast as it moved with Josh. … To get to free agency, it’s rewarding,” Dipoto said. “To go out and see, to be loved, it’s not a bad thing when you get a chance to see what’s behind the other door.”
Polanco hit 26 home runs during the regular season for the Mariners. He also had one stretch in the late summer where it seemed like he couldn’t stop hitting doubles.
If he liked Seattle, it appears the Mariners definitely want him back.
“The guys who come here, the comfort that they feel, the environment that they’re in, I do believe that,” Dipoto said. “I don’t want to speak for Jorge, but I think his experiences were similar to Josh.”
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