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Seattle Mariners Free Agency: Could Mariners Bring Back Victor Robles?
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- Seattle Mariners Free Agency: Could Mariners Bring Back Victor Robles?
Brady Farkas speaks on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast. Subscribe on YouTube!
On Thursday, the Seattle Mariners declined their $9 million team option on outfielder Victor Robles, which officially made him a free agent.
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However, just because the Mariners declined the option doesn't mean that Robles couldn't return to the Mariners on a different deal.
So, let's examine things a little bit:
The Victor Robles file
Still just 29 years old, Robles is already a 10-year veteran of the Washington Nationals and Mariners. A former top prospect who debuted with Washington in 2017, Robles also helped the Nationals win the 2019 World Series alongside Juan Soto and Max Scherzer. He hit 17 homers and drove in 65 runs that year, also stealing 28 bases. However, his productivity waned after that, as he hit just .225 from 2020-23, only hitting 11 home runs and stealing 35 bases.
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The Nationals let him go after a .120 stretch (14 games) to start the 2024 season.
The Mariners picked him up and he became an instant spark plug for a team that ended up missing the playoffs by just one game. He hit .328 across 77 games for the Mariners, also hitting four homers and stealing 30 bases. He earned a two-year contract extension for 2025-26, but injuries limited him to a greatly reduced role. He played only 32 games in 2025, hitting .245 with one homer and six steals.
In 2026, he was injured in April and never really got his footing when he came back, and he didn't play much down the stretch. He hit .256 with no homers and 10 steals in 65 games.
What does he still bring to the table?
Well, he can run. There's no denying that. He has 116 stolen bases in 10 years and still has a sprint speed in the 79th percentile of all players. He can still throw as well, as his arm strength is in the 63rd percentile.
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For a team that was the worst defensive team in baseball this season, Robles could be a useful backup outfielder/defensive replacement/pinch-runner.
So, would he have a place on this team?
So, I think both things are true: If the price came down enough, I'd be interested in a Robles reunion because he's a fun player who provides some value. I think that price point where I'd be interested is somewhere between $1-3 million.
However, I don't think the Mariners need to be in a rush to explore that reunion: As of now, the M's have Julio Rodriguez, Dom Canzone, Laz Montes, Luke Raley, Brendan Donovan, Grant McCray and Michael Arroyo as outfield options. And that just seems like enough depth at this time. The Mariners need to go out and focus on impact moving forward, not depth pieces. If they can't find more impact, then I'd circle back.
Again, there's a point where I would be interested, but we aren't there yet.
