Mariners fans entered the season with something of a sour outlook on the 2025 season. That's understandable, given an offseason in which the front office was clearly handcuffed by payroll limitations and a paper-thin trade market for big league hitters. Armed with a only a reported $15-16MM to patch over multiple needs in the infield, there wasn't a lot out there for president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander to realistically pursue. Seattle wound up rolling the dice on a handful of cost-effective infield options. returned on a one-year deal with a conditional player option. snagged a $3.5MM guarantee. signed a minor league deal and made the team after a big spring showing (.298/.320/.574 in 50 Trent Thornton Jersey plate appearances). Frustration was understandable. The Mariners had made a big splash at the prior deadline, reeling in from the Rays, but fans hoping for a similarly bold strike in the offseason after another narrow playoff mi s were left wanting. That frustration likely faded for many as the Mariners raced out to a blistering start. On May 7, they sat with a 22-14 record, leading the American League West by a three-game margin and sporting a +31 run differential. One might imagine that the Mariners were again being carried by their brilliant rotation, but that wasn't the case -- at least not entirely. has still yet to throw a pitch in 2025 as he recovers from some shoulder inflammation. hit the injured list on April 25 and remains there. has been brilliant. has been good. Gilbert was his typically excellent self prior to his flexor injury. But the Mariners' starting pitching, as a whole, has been a middle-of-the-pack unit. Instead, Seattle's hot start was largely attributable to a surprisingly potent offense. Through that previously mentioned May 7 date, M's hitters were slashing .247/.340/.415, resulting in a 122 wRC+ that ranked third in the majors. They were fourth in home runs, seventh in runs scored, 12th in batting average, second in on-base percentage and ninth in slugging percentage. In the week-plus since that time, the Mariners have lost five of six games and posted a collective .206/.259/.326 batting line (70 wRC+). Typically, there's little sense panicking over a week of poor results, but there was already reason to be a bit skeptical of Seattle's sudden offensive prowe s. Good as is, he's not going to continue at a 50-homer pace. Polanco isn't going to keep his OPS north of 1.000. isn't sustaining a .410 OBP, nor will keep hitting .341. Those timely early-season hot streaks buoyed the Seattle offense but can't all be sustained. The Mariners seemingly recognize that some new blood is needed; they claimed off waivers from the division-rival Rangers and took on about $3.7MM in salary to do so. That was an understandable move with both and on the injured list for the foreseeable future, but it shouldn't be the only one the Mariners consider. Let's run through a few easy ways to bolster a lineup that is facing even more pre sure than usual now that has joined rotation-mates Kirby and Gilbert on the injured list... Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription BENEFITS Acce s weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Acce s GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker Chris Clarke Jersey