The Seattle Mariners only have a few players who could potentially depart via free agency this offseason, and none more notable than designated hitter Nelson Cruz, who recently expressed his willingness to stay with the club.

"Well, I was with the (Texas) Rangers for seven years," Cruz told Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. "It's part of the business. Players move on. I would love to stay here. But it's part of the business."

Of course, whether the 38-year-old Cruz stays in Seattle is up to the Mariners, who haven't approached their star slugger about a possible extension.

While Cruz noted "no one has talked to me about it," his agent, Bryce Dixon, stated "nothing substantial" has come from Seattle.

Despite his age, Cruz continues to be one of the best hitters in baseball. Over 134 games this year, the six-time All-Star has authored a .262/.347/.525 slash line with 36 home runs.

Since finally becoming a full-time player in 2009, Cruz has become one of the most prolific designated hitters in MLB history and leads all of baseball in home runs over the past decade.

Meanwhile, the Mariners currently sit in third place in the AL West, trailing the first-place Houston Astros by 11 games. Earlier in the year, Seattle seemed poised to snap their 16-year playoff drought, though the club is now seven games back of the second wild-card spot, trailing both the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays.

Earlier in the month, executive vice president and general manager Jerry Dipoto, unsatisfied with the club's collapse, alluded to "tough decisions" the team will have to make in the forthcoming offseason.