The Seattle Mariners and Third Baseman Donovan Solano agreed to a one-year $3.5 million contract on Monday evening. Solano is coming off a respectable 2024 season with the San Diego Padres where he hit .286 with 8 home runs and 35 RBI.
Solano is a wily veteran who can provide an upstart Seattle Mariners ballclub with a sense of stability. The best year of his career came with the San Francisco Giants in 2020 when he won the Silver Slugger Award. How will this deal work out for both sides?
Seattle Mariners Offseason Summary
Mariners bring in Donovan Solano pic.twitter.com/Gi2ajdvGNt
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) January 13, 2025
Seattle has had a relatively quiet offseason. Outside of Solano, the team’s big offseason move was agreeing to one-year contracts with many arbitration-eligible players. Some of those players were Left Fielder Randy Arozarena, Starting Pitcher Logan Gilbert, and Catcher Cal Raleigh. These moves illustrate that Seattle is looking to run it back in 2025 with many of the key players from 2024.
The Mariners are coming off a disappointing season where they missed the MLB Playoffs for the second consecutive season and finished 85-77. One of the main issues with the team in 2024 was an anemic offense. They were 29th in batting average, 21st in runs scored, and 25th in Slugging Percentage. Solano will hopefully improve the unit’s offense during the 2025 campaign.
Final Thoughts
Solano joins a Seattle Mariners lineup that includes Center Fielder Julio Rodriguez, Shortstop J.P. Crawford, and Designated Hitter Mitch Garver. All these of these players had down years which contributed to Seattle’s struggles last season. They must all play better for the team to reach its full potential during the upcoming season.
Seattle had one of the league’s best pitching staffs in 2024. They were second in ERA, ninth in strikeouts, and led the league in WHIP. The pitching staff will need to fare just as well for a return to the postseason to take place for the Seattle Mariners.
