Okay, hear us out. The Mariners should call Jazz Chisholm Jr. and ask him about playing third base. Cole Young just won an AL Gold Glove at second and hit 17 home runs. The Mariners are finally in a place where they can spend an offseason talking about what Seattle can put around their guy at the keystone. It’s a welcome change. And for a Mariners team that put up the third-fewest runs in baseball, the chance to add Chisholm on a short deal deserves more than just a quick glance.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that executives were wondering whether Chisholm would get more than two years and raised the possibility of putting an opt-out on the second year that would let him test the market again. The Yankees also passed on making him a qualifying offer, which says a lot. So Seattle could actually sign him without surrendering a draft pick. A short deal could still be expensive, especially if enough clubs see the same opportunity. They should at least find out what the going rate is for a guy coming off a season where he slashed .231/.312/.399.

Brendan Donovan already plays third. That’s part of the appeal.

Chisholm played 45 regular-season games at third for the Yankees in 2024 and another 29 in 2025. He considered second the more natural fit and thought he was done at third before Aaron Boone asked him to go back. He agreed and hit a go-ahead homer in his first game back from the IL. That gives Seattle a reason to ask. A full season at third while trying to rebuild his free-agent market is a bigger commitment than filling in there for Boone.

Brendan Donovan makes the fit more interesting. He opened last season as Seattle’s everyday third baseman, and has solid experience in corner outfield spots. If Chisholm takes third and Donovan has regular at-bats in left, Seattle can get both bats in the lineup and still give Donovan starts on the dirt. The overlap gets harder to justify if the Mariners already have a better answer in left. Let’s say they actually sign Seiya Suzuki. Then this argument doesn’t work because they’re paying for a new third baseman while taking at-bats away from Donovan. The front office should be able to name who loses those at-bats before it makes an offer. However, it’s still worth the conversation.

Teruaki Sato was easy to picture in Seattle. The Mariners could have added the reigning Central League Triple Crown winner to a corner outfield spot and kept Brendan Donovan at third. But according to Seattle Times reporting from the GM meetings, the Mariners aren’t expected to pursue Sato.

Cole Young at shortstop is worth a look if Colt Emerson struggles

There’s a version of this where Chisholm plays his preferred position at the keystone. If Colt Emerson needs more time in Tacoma, Young could slide to shortstop and Chisholm could take second. Young came up playing both spots. The idea has enough merit to give him some reps there in camp, and having that option could matter over a long season.

We’d keep it in our back pocket. If Emerson hits a rough patch in May, we’d give him room to work through it. If he needs an extended stint in Tacoma and Young shows he can make the throws from deep in the hole consistently, then there’s a real conversation. A Gold Glove at second tells us how much we’d be giving up at that spot. Seattle would need to see what Young can give it at short before counting on the switch for months at a time.

Mauricio Dubón might be the better fit. We’d still call Jazz.

Dubón gives Seattle a simpler answer if the biggest concern is what they’re going to do about shortstop in 2027. He opened 2026 as Atlanta’s starter there, logged time at third and in the outfield, and won his third utility Gold Glove. He also hits right-handed, which would give the Mariners another way to write the lineup around Young, Emerson and Donovan. If Emerson needs time, Dubón can play short and Young can stay at second. If Emerson takes the job and runs with it, Dubón can get starts elsewhere.

We’d lean Dubón if Seattle is spending that money to protect itself at shortstop. But that still leaves the question of where the extra runs come from. Chisholm went from 31 homers and 31 steals in 2025 to 19 homers and 41 steals with a .711 OPS in 2026. We’d be paying for a chance at the power coming back, with enough speed to make a difference in the meantime. That’s an upside play worth taking seriously after the season we just watched.

So make the call. Ask Jazz about third, figure out where Donovan would get his starts, and see what a short deal with an opt-out would cost. If Jazz wants second base from day one, we’d lean toward Dubón for the shortstop coverage and keep Young where he won his Gold Glove. If Jazz is good with third and the price is right, we’d make an offer.