The countdown to what could be yet another impactful MLB trade deadline for the Seattle Mariners is down to eight days.
The reasons ESPN’s Passan ‘firmly’ believes M’s can win it all
If you’re hoping the M’s will again make one of the biggest moves in baseball before the July 31 deadline, just like they did in 2022 to acquire All-Star pitcher Luis Castillo or 2024 when they landed All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena, signs are pointing in the right direction.
Mariners insider Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports was asked on Tuesday’s edition of The Dugout with Bump and Stacy what she’s been hearing about the team’s activity on the trade front, and her answer was promising.
“They absolutely want to add to this team,” Drayer responded, “and they’re excited about the possibilities they have at the deadline.”
Drayer also said that, per a source outside of the Mariners organization, “they are hungry to make a deal.”
The Mariners could make serious noise with the ability to trade from a well-stocked farm system some consider to be the best in the game, featuring a whopping eight prospects that land in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 rankings.
It’s also apparent the M’s have their eye on the player ESPN calls the No. 1-ranked player who is a candidate to be traded before the deadline: Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star and former Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Tuesday that the Mariners are one of three teams to “inquire on” Suárez with the Diamondbacks. The Seattle Times’ Adam Jude has also reported that Suárez is the Mariners’ top target on the trade market.
Related: Do Mariners have what D-backs want at trade deadline?
The 34-year-old Suárez has been enjoying his best season since he smacked 49 homers for the Cincinnati Reds in 2019. He currently has a .254/.325/.598 slash line for a .923 OPS, with an MLB-leading 86 RBIs plus 36 homers that are tied for the National League lead. He still strikes out a lot (108 Ks to just 28 walks), but nobody’s concerned with that right now as he’s been on fire with seven homers in his last seven games, including five homers in his last four contests.
There’s the potential that Suárez will be awfully expensive for a rental – his contract will be up after this season – with the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs both being in the mix, per Heyman. But with their cache of prospects, the Mariners may have enough ammo to win a bidding war.
The Mariners previously acquired Suárez in a big spring training trade with the Reds prior to the 2022 season. He had two strong seasons for Seattle, hitting 33 homers in 2022 and 22 homers with 96 RBIs in 2023 while also providing solid defense at the hot corner.
The M’s dealt Suárez to Arizona prior to the 2024 campaign, and though he had a brutal start to his D-backs tenure – .192 average, .586 OPS, six homers through 77 games – he had a massive turnaround to finish last season with a .256 average, .788 OPS, 30 homers and 101 RBIs.
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