After the Seattle Mariners extended Colt Emerson to a historic long term deal, fans have been wondering when the top prospect will be brought up to the majors. However, bringing up Emerson will cause current veteran players to lose playing time. Mariners star player Randy Arozarena is one of those players.
The Mariners will ask Colt Emerson to play third base when he arrives in the majors. This will force the team to find other positions for current third baseman Brendan Donovan to play. Donovan can play second base and corner outfield. Cole Young occupies the keystone already, meaning that Donovan will either replace Arozarena or the platoon between Luke Raley and Rob Refsnyder.
Aaron Goldsmith, play-by-play announcer for Mariners TV, in a radio appearance said, “Here’s my one concern with that, I’m just gonna be perfectly honest, Randy’s in a contract year. You’re gonna tell a guy in a contract year, ‘Hey, you’re now a part-time DH.’ It takes a pretty big man to say, ‘I got you, skip. Yeah, I’ll do what you need there.’”
Not to mention, Arozarena has been one of the better hitters for the Mariners so far in 2026. He’s currently hitting .271/.4o7/.396 with one home run; he’s also lowered his strikeout rate to 18.6% from 26.9%. With how much the Mariners need offense currently, moving Arozarena out of the lineup is not an option. He has been a negative defender in left field, but without a true spot in the lineup, moving out of that position would not make sense.
The Mariners will need to get creative with how they divide playing time between all of their players. It is a good problem to have, but the team does not want to damage their relationship with any players especially if they want to keep Arozarena.
Colt Emerson is Already MLB Ready
GettyColt Emerson has had a hot start in AAA.
Emerson is already showing that he is MLB ready in AAA through 10 games. He’s currently hitting .308 and showcasing some excellent power with one home run and four doubles. However, with a lack of a clear solution to give him playing time, he may have to stick in AAA for the majority of the MLB season until there’s a clearer picture.
The Mariners signed Emerson to an eight year $95 million with a $25 million club option for year nine. With that extension accomplished, there’s little doubt that Emerson will be a part of the Mariners short term plans but it’s still murky given the positional battles the team will have to overcome.
Randy Arozarena Has Been Important for Seattle
GettySince arriving from Tampa Bay, Randy Arozarena has been great for the Mariners.
The Mariners traded for Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2024 season while pushing for the playoffs. While in Seattle, he has batted .238/.344/.413 with 33 home runs and has accumulated 5.6 bWAR. Not to mention, he has been a positive influence in the clubhouse with his energy and showmanship. It is not clear if the Mariners have reached out to Arozarena’s camp for an extension.
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