SEATTLE – The Seattle Mariners outfield is planned for 2025.

That was the word from president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto in late September, and the idea of ​​playing alongside Randy Arozarena and Victor Robles for a full season garnered a positive reaction from star center fielder Julio Rodriguez.

“That’s something I’m really looking forward to, everyone coming back healthy, relying on each other a lot throughout the year,” Rodriguez said at the end of the season. “I feel like it’s something that’s going to be really fun to watch.”

It’s a sentiment shared by Arozarena.

“It feels good. Just the three outfielders, we have a lot of communication and we are very close,” Arozarena said through interpreter Freddy Llanos. “It’s that special bond, just knowing that the team has that defense there, and when we’re all at our best, we have guys that can get on base and steal and produce runs.

“You can see Victor stealing home runs all the time, and between me and Julio, now we’re going to steal all the time. I’m looking forward to it.”

As the Mariners close the door on the 2024 season and begin planning in earnest for 2025, we begin a series of offseason position analyzes with a look at the outfield. Here’s where things stand:

Depth Chart

Left field: Randy Arozarena, Dylan Moore, Dominic Canzone

Central field: Julio Rodriguez, Victor Robles, Luke Raley

Right field: Victor Robles, Luke Raley, Mitch Haniger, Cade Marlowe

Key number

3.2 – Victor Robles’ fWAR in just 77 games with the Mariners

Key question of the offseason

What could a full season from Rodriguez, Arozarena and Robles look like in 2025?

Key quote

“The magnetism we got from Vic and Randy – our team was playing a very static and sometimes very boring game for several months, and those guys brought some life to our team.” – Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations

Preview

The Mariners, as Arozarena suggested, could have an elite outfield defense, and if all three continue their late-season surges through 2025, they will also have one of the most offensive outfields most powerful in baseball.

Rodriguez, in his third season, had a frustrating start to the season at age 23, finishing with career lows in most offensive categories. He slashed .247/.297/.327 (.624 OPS) with an 86 wRC+ (100 average) through June and missed an All-Star selection for the first time. He was warming up in July (1.121 OPS) when he suffered a high ankle sprain and crashed into the wall while attempting to make the catch on July 21.

Working closely with Edgar Martinez, Rodriguez was healthy again in September and finished the season strong, hitting .328 with an .895 OPS and a 156 wRC+ over his final 126 plate appearances. The September push, he said, was “really important” to allow him to close out the season.

“Being able to finish the season knowing that you feel good, that you’ve kind of checked your boxes, especially later in the year, it kind of generates good (vibes) during the offseason,” he said. -he declared.

It was an equally strong finish for Robles and Arozarena.

Robles reignited his career after signing with the Mariners in early June, shortly after the Washington Nationals released their former top prospect. He became an everyday player for the Mariners after Rodriguez’s injury in July and in just 77 games, he finished second on the team in doubles (20) and steals (30). (Dylan Moore led the team in both categories, with 23 doubles and 32 steals.)

After taking the leadoff spot, Robles has been one of MLB’s hottest hitters over the past two months, and the Mariners signed him to a two-year contract extension worth $9,000 guaranteed. $75 million through 2026. The Mariners designated Robles as the starting right. defender and leadoff hitter for next season.

“Vic is a stimulant,” Dipoto said. “He brings the group to life.”

Arozarena was the biggest stick available at the July trade deadline, and the Mariners acquired him from Tampa Bay for three solid prospects (OF Aidan Smith, RHP Brody Hopkins and RHP Ty Cummings).

After a slow start with Seattle, Arozarena took over in September and finished with a 122 wRC+ in 54 games with the Mariners.

“It was difficult to leave the place we were in for four years. Tampa is a place that is our home,” Arozarena said. “But you come here and the way these guys were able to pick me up in about a week, I was able to see all the love that everyone was showing me and the way things are done here, and I was able to adapt quite quickly.

Arozarena, who is entering his second year of arbitration eligibility, is expected to earn between $11 million and $12 million in 2025.

Luke Raley had a solid first season in Seattle, hitting 22 home runs with a 129 wRC+ while playing all three outfield spots and first base. He profiles as an ideal fourth outfielder (and an important left-handed bat), but the Mariners also entered the offseason with Raley seen as the team’s strong squad in a 2025 squad at first base.

Mitch Haniger, as expected, exercised his $15.5 million player option for 2025, according to an industry source. When Dominic Canzone landed on the injured list in April, Haniger enjoyed a productive period in a regular role in right field early in the season. But his playing time decreased when Dan Wilson took over as coach, and Haniger’s role on the team for 2025 is unclear.