What we’re hearing on Mariners’ plans ahead of MLB trade deadline
SEATTLE – Even after the acquisition of first baseman Josh Naylor last week, the Mariners plan to aggressively pursue more roster upgrades before the MLB trade deadline at 3 p.m. PT Thursday.
Yes, the Mariners would like to reunite with third baseman Eugenio Suarez, industry sources say.
But as trade talks are expected to escalate in the next 24 hours, source say the more urgent need for the Mariners is a proven late-inning relief pitcher.
And because of the various bullpen options available in the market, there’s a growing optimism around the club that a deal will come together before Thursday’s deadline.
“This is one of our favorite times of year,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Sunday on MLB Network Radio. “When we put ourselves in a good position, we’ve always been given the ability to go out and do the fun thing at the deadline. That’s ‘The Rock’ (Luis Castillo) in 2022 and Randy Arozarena and friends last year, and obviously Josh so far (this summer).
“We are dialed on the bullpen, and that makes us like just about everybody else who’s trying to get to the finish line. But the bullpen (pitchers) are, they are the late movers. Somewhere in the last day or two, and then maybe in the last hour or two, you’ll start to see some of the higher impact bullpen guys go off the board, and we will be as aggressive in that area of the market as just about anybody.”
The Mariners acquired Naylor, a free agent this winter, from the Diamondbacks for two young pitchers, left-hander Brandyn Garcia and right-hander Ashton Izzi, both of whom were ranked outside of Seattle’s Top 10 prospects list.
The price to land Suarez, who is another rental player, will be much costlier.
The asking price the Diamondbacks have reportedly put on Suarez is steep enough that some clubs in the third-base market have pivoted elsewhere. The New York Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies after Arizona reportedly asked for three players (a major-league ready player, a AAA/AA-type prospect and a lower-level prospect) in exchange for Suarez.
Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies have also been linked to Suarez in various reports.
As Dipoto suggested, it’s an even longer list of contending teams that are seeking bullpen upgrades.
And because the Mariners have one of baseball’s deepest farm systems — with eight prospects ranked in Baseball America’s updated Top 100 list — they could conceivably match just about any offer in any trade scenario.
There are some high-profile relief pitchers rumored to be available.
The Mariners would love to pry away one of the Minnesota Twins’ top arms, right-handers Jhoan Duran or Griffin Jax, and join a late-inning relief corps featuring Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash and Gabe Speier.
Duran, 27, has a 1.90 ERA and has one of the most electric fastballs in the sport. He’s making $4.125 million this season, with two more arbitration-eligible seasons.
Jax, 30, is one of the game’s elite setup relievers. He’s making $2.365 million this season and also has two more arbitration-eligible seasons.
The Twins are reportedly asking for multiple top prospects for either Duran or Jax.
St. Louis Cardinals veteran closer Ryan Helsley, an impending free agent, is widely expected to be traded before Thursday’s deadline, with the Phillies among the teams linked to him.
The Mariners would seem to line up well with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have multiple relievers that could be dealt this week.
Closer David Bednar is a “near lock” to be traded, as MLB Trade Rumors notes. The 30-year-old right-hander has not allowed a run since May 23, and sports a 2.19 ERA with a 34.5% strikeout rate. He’s making $5.9 million this season with one more season of arbitration eligibility.
Pirates right-hander Dennis Santana, making $1.4 million this season with one more season of arbitration eligibility, should be a more affordable relief option, both in prospect capital and salary. The 29-year-old has a 1.42 ERA with one of the most valuable sliders in the game.
Other potential relief options: LHP Danny Coulombe (Minnesota); RHP Pierce Johnson (Atlanta); RHP Phil Maton (St. Louis); RHP Jake Bird (Colorado); RHP Seth Halvorsen (Colorado); RHP Anthony Bender (Miami); RHP Kyle Finnegan (Washington).