The Seattle Mariners’ first decision of the offseason will likely end up being their easiest.
The Mariners have formally exercised a contract option on closer Andrés Muñoz for the 2026 season, a source told the Seattle Times on Tuesday.
The Mariners also announced Tuesday that they had declined a mutual option on catcher Mitch Garver, as expected. Garver is due a $1 million buyout.
Garver is now a free agent, joining left-hander Caleb Ferguson, right-hander Luke Jackson, first baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suárez. All five players are eligible to sign with any club starting Thursday.
Muñoz signed a four-year, $7.5 million before the 2022 season, which included club options for 2026, ’27 and ’28.
Muñoz had a base option worth $6 million for 2026, and he reached the escalators in his contract worth another $1 million for ’26.
The Mariners also hold contract options on Muñoz worth $8 million in 2027 and $10 million 2028.
The 26-year-old Muñoz affirmed his place as one of baseball’s elite closers this year, earning his second All-Star selection and posting a career-high 38 saves during the regular season.
Known for his love of cats as much as his ability to record outs, Muñoz had a 1.73 ERA in 64 regular-season appearances. In 62 1/3 innings he allowed just 36 hits with an 83-to-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio, posting a 1.03 WHIP and a .167 batting average against.
In the playoffs he didn’t give up a run in seven innings, recording two saves.
The decision on Muñoz puts the Mariners at roughly $135 million in payroll commitments for the 2026 season, though that number could fluctuate in the days leading up to MLB’s Nov. 21 non-tender deadline.
For a team that advanced to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, the Mariners closed out 2025 with a payroll around $165 million, one of the highest in franchise history.
Without giving an exact number on the budget, club president Jerry Dipoto intimated that the payroll going into 2026 would be about the same as it was to finish the 2025 season — “as a starting point.”
Based on that, the Mariners should have at least $30 million to spend in free agency this winter. Dipoto has said re-signing Naylor is an “obvious” priority for the club.