Mariners Exercise Andrés Muñoz’s Option, Decline Options on Bryce Miller and Victor Robles

Seattle’s option decisions keep its late-inning upside in place while leaving two roster questions open. The Mariners exercised their $9 million club option on closer Andrés Muñoz, but declined a $6.075 million option on right-hander Bryce Miller and a $9 million option on outfielder Victor Robles on Thursday.

Muñoz’s price buys another chance

Muñoz, 27, posted a 4.24 ERA in 2026 and failed to convert 10 of 39 save or hold chances. Those results were a sharp departure from his usual standard, but Seattle’s decision reflects the appeal of his underlying stuff and a manageable salary. His deal also includes a $10 million option for 2028.

The right-hander’s fastball averaged 99.8 mph, his strongest mark since 2022, and he struck out 37.1% of opposing hitters. His 10% walk rate was above average, though it was his best since that dominant 2022 season.

Two less stable indicators help explain the gap between Muñoz’s strikeout numbers and his run prevention. Opponents hit .316 on balls in play, about 26 points above the league average and nearly 40 points higher than his career rate. More striking was his home run rate: 23.1% of fly balls left the park, compared with a 10% rate before 2026 and a typical league figure near 12%. Short-term home run spikes can recede over a larger sample. Seattle is betting that Muñoz’s velocity and ability to miss bats will again make him a dependable option in high-leverage innings.

Miller stays under team control

Declining Miller’s option does not make him a free agent. The 28-year-old remains under Seattle’s control through 2029 through arbitration. His prior one-year agreement included the option for his second arbitration season; the club will pay a $15,000 buyout and negotiate a new salary instead. MLB Trade Rumors contributor Matt Swartz projected Miller’s arbitration salary at $3.9 million.

An oblique strain cost Miller the first seven weeks of 2026. He returned to make 22 starts and throw 118 2/3 innings, finishing with a 4.17 ERA, a 24.5% strikeout rate and a 7.8% walk rate. He opened strongly, then recorded a 6.14 ERA across his final 13 appearances.

That uneven season follows a sharp turn in form: Miller posted a 2.94 ERA over 180 1/3 innings in 2024, then managed a 5.68 ERA in 90 1/3 innings during an injury-marred 2025 campaign that included multiple elbow-related injured list stints.

Seattle has six starters competing for five rotation spots. Miller joins Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock and top prospect Kade Anderson, who impressed in a late-season debut. Another young right-hander, Ryan Sloan, is among the sport’s top pitching prospects and could debut in 2027. A winter trade is plausible given the depth, though moving Miller now would mean selling after a down year.

Robles hits free agency after injury setbacks

Robles will receive a $500,000 buyout and become a free agent. Seattle signed him in 2024 after the former top prospect was released by Washington. His strong finish that year led the Mariners to give him a two-year, $9.75 million extension with a club option for a third season.

Injuries limited the return. Robles dislocated and fractured his left shoulder while making a leaping catch early in 2025, missing more than three months. A pectoral strain then kept him out for about eight weeks in 2026; after returning in a part-time role, he struggled at the plate.

Across the two-year deal, he recorded 263 plate appearances and hit .251/.300/.318, while stealing 16 bases. His speed still gives him value in the outfield, but his next opportunity may be a low-cost one-year contract with incentives or a minor league deal and a spring training invitation. Seattle’s choices leave Muñoz with a chance to rebound, Miller in a crowded rotation picture and Robles looking for a fresh start elsewhere.