Much has been made of the Seattle Mariners and their offensive woes. The team finished 2024 in the bottom third in terms of runs scored. Fans expected a big offseason of additions given the hitting talent that was on the market, but nothing ever materialized. However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic believes that the Mariners will once again be active at the trade deadline, as they’ve done in the past.
Past Success With Mariners Trade Deadline Acquisitions
Rosenthal dove into what the Mariners might need and how they’ve fared at past deadlines. He wrote, “True, the Mariners are budget-conscious, placing high value on affordable talent. But twice in the past three seasons under president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander, they traded future impact for present impact.”
Back in 2022, they paired up with the Cincinnati Reds to bring in right-hander Luis Castillo. Just last season, they struck another deal for outfielder Randy Arozarena to boost their struggling offense. A Mariners trade deadline has become something to watch.
Rosenthal believes a Mariners trade deadline could bring in a first baseman or a right fielder. Given Luke Raley and Victor Robles returning, a first baseman makes much more sense for the Mariners.
Finding a First Base Trade Partner
First base has been a black hole for the Mariners. That position for the Mariners is 21st in MLB in RBI, 25th in slugging, and 23rd in wRC+. They had options to upgrade over the offseason, with reports of a trade involving the Red Sox and Triston Casas. They also could have added Paul Goldschmidt, Christian Walker, Carlos Santana, and others during free agency. As Rosenthal said, however, the Mariners are budget-conscious.
The Mariners have used a combination of Rowdy Tellez and Donovan Solano at first, and it hasn’t yielded the results for a team that currently has winning the AL West at the top of their list.
That being said, what could the Mariners’ trade deadline bring, and who could their partners be?
Milwaukee Brewers
While the Brewers have played better lately, they face a tough road to the postseason. They’re third in the NL Central and sit 3.5 games out of a Wild Card slot. That means Rhys Hoskins could be up for grabs. Hoskins has a mutual option for $18 million remaining on his deal, and would fit in perfectly.
Hoskins is 13th in MLB among first basemen in RBI. He’s slashing .282/.384/.459 with seven home runs. His 13.8% walk rate would go a long way in helping to improve the Mariners at the trade deadline. He’d be a great complement to the left-handed hitting Tellez.
Tampa Bay Rays
If the Mariners want to make a splash, they might consider linking up with the Rays again. The Rays are constantly churning players on the roster, particularly ones that become a bit more expensive. While the Mariners would love to pry Jonathan Aranda away, one has to imagine Yandy Diaz could be one to go this deadline. With Ha-Seong Kim working his way back and the emergence of Junior Caminero, Diaz could become expendable.
For the Mariners, he might be a great fit. He has generally fared better against left-handed pitching throughout his career and this year is the same slight edge. With a career .880 OPS against lefties, he’d also complement Tellez over at first. Diaz, 33, is signed through the 2026 season with a conditional club option for 2027 if he reaches 500 plate appearances in 2026. With a salary of just $12 million, he’d fit the bill for a budget-conscious team.
Unfortunately for the Mariners, it’s slim pickings for first base options. The Mariners could still be successful with these two options, or potentially something that’s not on the radar.
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