The Mariners wasted arguably the best starting rotation in baseball this past season, missing the playoffs altogether after finishing 21st in runs scored.Seattle will have a full season of the outfield of Julio Rodríguez, Victor Robles and Randy Arozarena in 2025, which projects to be a pretty good group. The infield, though, needs a ton of work. J.P. Crawford will be at shortstop, and Luke Raley could be the first baseman, although he could also DH and/or see some time in the outfield. As is, Ryan Bliss (.687 OPS in 2024) is currently projected to be the starting second baseman, while Dylan Moore—who won a Gold Glove Award but hit .201 with a .687 OPS in 2024—would be at third base.Kim would be an upgrade at either spot, with the most likely scenario being that he would see most of his time at second base. Injuries limited Crawford to just 105 games this past season, and Seattle surely would have liked to have an insurance option like Kim capable of taking over and playing shortstop at a high level.Obviously, signing Kim alone wouldn't fix Seattle's offensive issues. Truthfully, the Mariners must add a big bopper like Pete Alonso to the middle of their order. But T-Mobile Park has been the least hitter-friendly stadium in baseball over the past three seasons, according to MLB Park Factors. The difference in production Teoscar Hernández had playing his home games at Dodger Stadium in 2024 instead of T-Mobile Park in 2023 won't make sluggers eager to sign with the Mariners.

The Mariners wasted arguably the best starting rotation in baseball this past season, missing the playoffs altogether after finishing 21st in runs scored. Seattle will have a full season of the outfield of Julio Rodríguez, Victor Robles and Randy Arozarena in 2025, which projects to be a pretty good group. The infield, though, needs a […]

The Mariners wasted arguably the best starting rotation in baseball this past season, missing the playoffs altogether after finishing 21st in runs scored.

Seattle will have a full season of the outfield of Julio Rodríguez, Victor Robles and Randy Arozarena in 2025, which projects to be a pretty good group. The infield, though, needs a ton of work. J.P. Crawford will be at shortstop, and Luke Raley could be the first baseman, although he could also DH and/or see some time in the outfield. As is, Ryan Bliss (.687 OPS in 2024) is currently projected to be the starting second baseman, while Dylan Moore—who won a Gold Glove Award but hit .201 with a .687 OPS in 2024—would be at third base.

Kim would be an upgrade at either spot, with the most likely scenario being that he would see most of his time at second base. Injuries limited Crawford to just 105 games this past season, and Seattle surely would have liked to have an insurance option like Kim capable of taking over and playing shortstop at a high level.

Obviously, signing Kim alone wouldn’t fix Seattle’s offensive issues. Truthfully, the Mariners must add a big bopper like Pete Alonso to the middle of their order. But T-Mobile Park has been the least hitter-friendly stadium in baseball over the past three seasons, according to MLB Park Factors. The difference in production Teoscar Hernández had playing his home games at Dodger Stadium in 2024 instead of T-Mobile Park in 2023 won’t make sluggers eager to sign with the Mariners.