MLB insider defends Mariners’ decision to pass on Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto but urges quick contract extension for their own stars

MLB insider JP Morosi believes the Seattle Mariners could be forgiven for not dabbling in the negotiations for marquee free agents such as Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, as they cannot afford to spend $700 million on a single player. However, he feels their front office should do their best to extend the contracts of homegrown stars like Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Cal Raleigh.

The Seattle Mariners have one of the strongest starting rotations in the entire MLB, with Logan Gilbert and George Kirby being two of their best pitchers over the past couple of seasons. At the same time, catcher Cal Raleigh is now considered to be among the best all-around catchers in the American League.

MLB Network correspondent JP Morosi was a guest on the Seattle Sports podcast this Friday. He advised the Mariners front office to consider signing up Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Cal Raleigh to long-term contracts as soon as possible on the show.

"There's not a lot of teams that can spend $700 million plus for either Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto. I get it. That's a very high echelon of investment," Morosi said. "But making a very logical extension for a Gilbert, or a Kirby, or a Raleigh, for the right player, Mariners fans should expect their front office and their ownership to do that. They should, because that's what good organizations do." [4:49 - 10:07]

"That's the smart money," Mororsi added. "The smart money is getting the deal done before it becomes urgent at some point. And this is the uncomfortable part for the Mariners fans to think about. At some point, if you can't sign them, the prudent thing becomes to trade them. I'm not saying they will do that, but that's what the market dynamics would suggest."

The Seattle Mariners missed out on the playoffs in 2024 after finishing second in the AL West behind the Houston Astros even though they had held the lead for much of the season.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza wants Pete Alonso to hit behind Juan Soto in lineup

Juan Soto hit a home run on his spring training debut for the Mets (Image Sourcr: IMAGN)

The New York Mets made the biggest headlines of this offseason when they signed Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract in December. The Mets have bolstered their lineup further for the upcoming campaign by re-signing Pete Alonso on a two-year, $54 million deal earlier this month.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has indicated that Pete Alonso could be protecting Juan Soto in the batting order by batting right behind him.

"I like the idea of Pete potentially hitting behind Soto. There’s a lot to like—the power, what Pete brings to the lineup," Mendoza said. "And it’s not just Pete; we have other guys who could slot in behind Soto. The good thing is we have plenty of options and different ways to approach it, whether it’s Pete or another player."

The New York Mets booked a playoff berth on the last day of the regular season despite finishing in third spot in the National League East with an 89-73 record. They progressed into the Championship Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.