The upcoming offseason for the Seattle Mariners will be similar to the last two.
Is a wild card vacancy opening for the Seattle Mariners in the playoffs?
Once more, in order to sustain one of the top pitching staffs in baseball, the Mariners must upgrade their offense.
While prior offseasons indicate the front staff won’t have the financial freedom to make the several splashes required to boost the lineup, some of that improvement might come from acquiring bats in free agency. Jerry Dipoto, the president of baseball operations, may be among baseball’s busiest executives in the trade market if that is the case—which is usually the case.
Due to their abundance of youthful hitting talent at or near the major-league level and their dearth of pitching depth, the Baltimore Orioles have frequently been mentioned as an excellent trade fit for the M’s. But according to ESPN MLB source Jeff Passan, there is another American League East team that Seattle might potentially deal with this offseason.
We mentioned Baltimore. I’ll say this: Boston is a club that interests me, Passan said to Brock and Salk of Seattle Sports on Tuesday. “Recall the prospects Baltimore advanced in the past several years? While Boston lacks some depth, they do have a lot of really talented high-end hitting prospects. Additionally, it’s possible that you choose someone from their big-league squad rather than one of their elite hitting prospects.\
Who from Boston could the Mariners seek, then?
“Jarren Duran is not something I believe they would trade, but they have center fielders Ceddanne Rafaela and Roman Anthony on the way,” Passan stated. “Can Marcelo Mayer be obtained? Most likely not. However, Rafaela is a player who plays center field and shortstop and is signed to a fair long-term deal.
Duran, who won the MVP award for the All-Star Game in July, had an even stronger 2024 season after having a breakthrough 2023 campaign. Along with league-highs of 44 doubles and 13 triples, the 28-year-old center fielder is slashing.289/.347/513 with 71 RBIs, 32 stolen bases, and 21 home runs in 142 games. He ranks among the greatest defensive center fielders in the game as well, yet if the M’s could work out a deal for him, he would most likely relocate to a corner outfield position.
