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AL West Notes: Tucker, Verlander, Bloss, Woo, Jung

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Astros manager Joe Espada offered a disappointing, if not entirely surprising, injury update regarding two of his biggest stars. Speaking to reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) ahead of today’s contest in Toronto, the skipper acknowledged that neither Kyle Tucker nor Justin Verlander is likely to return from the IL before the All-Star break.

Tucker has not played since June 3 as he nurses a right shin contusion he suffered when he fouled a ball off his leg. In mid-June, Espada suggested that Tucker would likely require a minor league rehab assignment. With the All-Star break fast approaching and the outfielder yet to begin any on-field work (per Kawahara), it’s hard to imagine he makes it back before the break. The Astros would surely like to have Tucker back as soon as possible, but they have played surprisingly well in their best hitter’s absence. Making sure that he’s healthy for the stretch run is more important than rushing him back in July.

Meanwhile, Verlander has not pitched since June 9; he is dealing with neck discomfort. He is progressing well, but Espada says the future Hall of Famer has not yet gotten back to throwing off a mound. Once again, the Astros could certainly use the veteran in their injury-plagued rotation ASAP, but rushing him back would be a shortsighted move with so much season left to play.

Another point of interest concerning Verlander: As Kawahara notes, it is now extremely unlikely that his conditional $35MM player option for 2025 will be triggered. Even if the 41-year-old were to return immediately after the All-Star break and pitch once every five games for the rest of the season, he would need to average 6 1/3 innings per start to reach the necessary 140 innings pitched.

Finally, Espada also mentioned that rookie Jake Bloss will make a rehab start this weekend. Barring any setbacks, the young righty could make his next start in Houston. Bloss, 23, is generally considered one of the Astros’ better pitching prospects. He landed on the IL with shoulder discomfort on June 21, the same day that he made his MLB debut.

More injury updates from around the AL West:

  • Rangers manager Bruce Bochy offered reporters an update on Josh Jung, who has been on the IL almost all season. The All-Star third baseman fractured his wrist on a hit-by-pitch on April 1. Jung has recently been nursing a flare-up of discomfort in his injured wrist and has not swung a bat since his last rehab game on June 20 (per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). However, he has no further structural damage. The Rangers are going to shut him down completely for another week, after which they hope he’ll be able to restart his rehab assignment (per Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today). Needless to say, this means Jung will not be ready to return to Arlington before the All-Star break.
  • In more positive news, the Mariners aren’t ready to rule out the possibility that Bryan Woo could return to their rotation ahead of the Midsummer Classic. He threw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday (per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com) and will make a rehab start this weekend. If all goes well in that outing, there’s a chance he could make his next start for Seattle. Woo, 24, has pitched exceptionally well in his sophomore season, with a 1.77 ERA in eight starts. Not all of his underlying numbers are quite as eye-catching (4.01 SIERA, 3.96 xFIP), but there’s no doubt the Mariners would like to have the young hurler back as soon as possible to see more of what he’s capable of.

Mariners Claim Duke Ellis From Mets

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The Mariners announced that they have claimed outfielder Duke Ellis off waivers from the Mets and sent him to Triple-A Tacoma. The latter club had designated him for assignment recently. The Mariners already had a vacancy on their 40-man, which is now full.

Ellis, 26, had never appeared on a 40-man roster until a month ago but has now been on three of them in that time. The White Sox selected him on June 4 and he has since bounced to the Mets and now Mariners via waiver claims.

The interest is largely due to his wheels. In his 968 minor league plate appearances, he has a batting line of .241/.329/.333, which translates to an 88 wRC+. However, he stole 117 bases in 134 tries during that time. While he was briefly in the big leagues with the White Sox, he swiped four bags in four tries.

Such players can often carve out roles on contending clubs, particularly with expanded rosters in September. A key pinch running opportunity late in a game can often be the difference between a win and a loss. That’s especially true in the age of the free runner in extra innings.

The Mariners had an open roster spot, so there’s little harm in them grabbing Ellis for now. He can take some at-bats in Tacoma, though perhaps they will try to pass him through waivers at some point down the line or call him up to take advantage of his speed.

Mariners Select Seby Zavala, Sign Chris Devenski

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The Mariners announced that they have selected the contract of catcher Seby Zavala, with left-hander Jhonathan Díaz optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move. Additionally, the M’s have signed right-hander Chris Devenski to a major league contract, though Devenski will report to Tacoma. Seattle had three vacancies on their 40-man roster coming into today, so their count is now at 39.

Zavala, 30, was acquired as part of the Eugenio Suárez trade back in November. He was used as a glove-first backup catcher for a while with Cal Raleigh getting the bulk of the playing time. The M’s had also signed Mitch Garver but with the idea of using him primarily as a designated hitter, though Garver started playing behind the plate more as the season wore on.

That left just 43 plate appearances for Zavala through the middle of June. He hit .154/.214/.282 in that limited time while striking out at a 37.2% rate. As Garver started donning the tools of ignorance, Zavala was designated for assignment and outrighted off the roster. He had the right to elect free agency at that time but stuck with the M’s and is now back in the bigs.

His selection is likely due to Garver’s status, as he was hit by a pitch on his right wrist on Sunday. He was catching that game with Raleigh in the DH slot, but Raleigh moved behind the plate in the third inning as Garver departed, leaving the M’s to play without a DH for the rest of the game.

Per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com on X, Garver is feeling better but still sore and is “going to go feel it out,” in Garver’s words. Since he is seemingly unavailable, at least for a few days, the club was going to be left with just Raleigh and no backup catcher, which prompted Zavala’s return. Once Garver is healthy, Zavala might get squeezed out again since he is out of options.

Devenski, 33, was just released by the Rays last week but has quickly landed a new gig. As a veteran with more than five years of service time, he can’t be optioned to the minors without his consent. Since the M’s announced that he will report to Tacoma, perhaps he has given his consent, unless that’s just an on-paper move until he reports to the club.

The righty was having a rough season with the Rays, tossing 26 2/3 innings with 6.75 earned runs allowed per nine. His 19.7% strikeout rate and 11.5% walk rate were both below average, leading Tampa to cut him loose.

The M’s clearly have some kind of idea for getting him back on track. He was once a dominant reliever with the Astros, throwing 189 innings with that club over 2016 and 2017 with a 2.35 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate. But he struggled in the following years and missed time due to injuries, including Tommy John surgery. He had a 4.56 ERA over 2018 and 2019 and then a 9.47 ERA from 2020 to 2022.

He seemed to show a bit of life last year, with 42 1/3 innings between the Angels and Rays. He had a 4.46 ERA in that time, as well as a 24.3% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate. The Rays were encouraged enough to bring him back for 2024 with a $1.1MM guarantee, in the form of a $1MM salary this year and $100K buyout on a 2025 option.

But now that Devenski has been released, the Rays are left on the hook for that money. The M’s will only owe him the prorated version of the major league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Rays pay.

The M’s have taken some hits in their bullpen this year, with each of Matt Brash, Gregory Santos, Jackson Kowar and Gabe Speier currently on the injured list, with Brash and Kowar done for the year due to Tommy John surgery. There’s little harm on taking a low-cost flier on Devenski to see if he can help make up for those losses by returning to form.

Matt Bowman Opts Out Of Deal With Mariners

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Reliever Matt Bowman exercised an opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Mariners, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (X link). Seattle granted him his release rather than call him to the MLB bullpen.

That sends Bowman back to free agency, a fairly common occurrence over the past few weeks. He decided to test the open market after successive designations by the Diamondbacks and Mariners. Bowman inked minor league deals with Seattle both times. He was called to the majors once during his first stint but didn’t get a call since signing his most recent contract a couple weeks ago. The 33-year-old sinkerballer has pitched six times with Triple-A Tacoma over the last two weeks, surrendering four runs through eight innings.

Bowman had fired six innings without allowing an earned run for the Twins’ top affiliate in April. He has surrendered five runs (four earned) with 18 strikeouts and three walks across 16 Triple-A frames on the season. He hasn’t matched that at the major league level, where he has given up nine runs with a 10:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 15 frames.

It has been a few years since Bowman held down a long-term stop in a major league bullpen. He’s putting together a second straight solid Triple-A campaign after turning in a 3.99 ERA with a 51.9% ground-ball rate in 49 appearances for the Yankees’ top affiliate a year ago. Bowman should quickly land another minor league contract now that he’s again on the free agent market.

Mariners Notes: Garver, Santos, Speier

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The Mariners had an injury scare this evening as catcher Mitch Garver was strike in the wrist by a pitch from Twins right-hander Joe Ryan during this afternoon’s game and exited with what Seattle termed a right wrist contusion. As noted by MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer, manager Scott Servais told reporters after the game that x-rays on Garver’s wrist came back negative, but that the club doesn’t plan on making a decision about next steps regarding the 33-year-old until Tuesday given the club has tomorrow off.

Garver came to the Mariners on a two-year, $26MM deal over the offseason. The longtime catcher had gradually seen more and more of his time come at DH during his tenure with the Rangers and joined Seattle ticketed for a regular role at DH while occasionally spelling Raleigh behind the plate as well. Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for Garver half a season into his Mariners tenure, however, as he’s slashed just .172/.291/.353 in 71 games this year. While he’s hit for decent power and walked at an excellent 13.5% clip, the combination of a massive 30.9% strikeout rate and his deflated .214 BABIP have left him below average overall with a wRC+ of just 90. That’s certainly passable production from a catcher, but far more is to be expected from a player who is essentially being paid to be a full-time DH.

The potential injury comes as a particularly frustrating time for the Mariners as Garver had begun to heat up in the month of June. In 91 trips to the plate this month entering play tonight, Garver had slashed a much more palatable .187/.319/.453 with a 122 wRC+. That improved production is generally backed up by solid peripherals, as well; Garver’s strikeout rate, while still elevated, has dipped to a more manageable 28.6% this month, and he’s walked at an enormous 16.5% clip. A BABIP of just .200 suggests that further positive regression could be in store for Garver, though it now seems possible that will have to wait depending on how much his wrist heals in the coming days.

Even in the event that Garver requires only a few days off, it’s possible the Mariners will look to make some sort of short-term roster move. After all, he and Raleigh are the only two catchers on the club’s active roster, meaning the club could be forced into a tough situation if Raleigh were to get hurt while Garver is down. The Mariners have Seby Zavala and Michael Perez as depth catching options at Triple-A, though neither is currently on the club’s 40-man roster.

In more positive Mariners news, a pair of key relievers appear to be making their way towards a return to action. Adam Jude of The Seattle Times relayed recently that, according to GM Justin Hollander, right-hander Gregory Santos is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that lefty Gabe Speier is set to throw a bullpen session that same day.

The impending return of the two hurlers is excellent news for the Mariners. Santos, in particular, figured to handle late-inning duties for the club alongside closer Andres Munoz and veteran set-up man Ryne Stanek after the club swung a trade with the White Sox to acquire him just before the start of Spring Training. Unfortunately, that deal has yet to bear fruit as Santos has been sidelined the entire season to this point after suffering a lat strain in mid-March. He could prove to be an impactful arm for the Mariners in leverage situations once healthy enough to take the mound in the big leagues, however, as shown by his 3.39 ERA and 2.65 FIP in 66 1/3 innings of work with Chicago last year.

As for Speier, the lefty has missed the past month with rotator cuff issues but was in the midst of a frustrating 2024 season prior to his injury. In 22 appearances with Seattle this year, the lefty has struggled to a 6.06 ERA in spite of peripheral numbers that remain mostly solid. Speier has struck out a strong 29.3% of batters faced this year but has dealt with some poor fortune on batted balls and sequencing, as demonstrated by an elevated .325 BABIP allowed and an unsustainable strand rate of just 61.3%, far below the typical 70-75% range for the average hurler.

Not all of Speier’s struggles have been self-inflicted, of course; the lefty has allowed free passes at a worrying 13.3% clip this year, a massive change from the 5.1% walk rate he posted with the Mariners last season when he posted a 3.79 ERA and 3.35 FIP in 69 games. The Mariners will surely be hoping that’s the version of Speier they get back once he’s healthy enough to return, which MLB.com suggests is unlikely to be until after the All Star break.

Mariners Reportedly Seeking Everyday Bat, Relief Help On Trade Market

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The Mariners have gotten off to a strong start this season with a 47-38 record that places them firmly in the driver’s seat of the AL West division race, 4.5 games ahead of the second place Astros. Given that solid position in the standings as the second half gets underway, it’s hardly surprising that Seattle plans to add to their team ahead of the trade deadline, which is scheduled for exactly one month from today on July 30. Reporting last week indicated that the Mariners plan to be “aggressive” in improving their offense this summer, and today a report from MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi added additional details regarding the club’s plans. Per Morosi, the Mariners have already begun exploring possible trades with other clubs and are currently prioritizing the addition of one everyday hitter, as well as help in the bullpen.

It’s certainly sensible for Seattle to look for upgrades in those areas. Despite their solid record, the club has not generated much offense this year, ranking 21st in the majors with a 94 wRC+ that’s identical to that of the lowly Athletics. Perhaps most concerning for a club that actively attempted to add more contact-oriented bats to their offense over the winter is the fact that they lead the majors with a 27.9% strikeout rate while getting on base at a clip of just .298, sixth from the bottom among all clubs.

The Mariners will surely be relying on internal improvements to spark the offense on at least some level with key pieces like Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, and J.P. Crawford hitting far below expectations, but even assuming core players like that trio remain in everyday roles there’s still plenty of room for the club to improve externally. Of the club’s 11 hitters with at least 100 trips to the plate under their belts this year, only Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore, and Luke Raley have posted a wRC+ more than 5% better than league average. Even then, Moore is a part-time player who has started just 17 of the club’s 27 games this month while Rojas has slashed just .230/.283/.323 after a scorching hot April.

Given the extreme dearth of offensive impact all over the roster, the Mariners shouldn’t be limited to any specific position in their search for offensive upgrades. Raleigh and Mitch Garver figure to continue serving as the club’s tandem behind the plate, Rodriguez figures to continue manning center field, and Crawford figures to remain at shortstop, but there’s plenty of flexibility elsewhere on the roster to accommodate an impactful offensive addition. It’s easy, for example, to imagine Seattle making room for White Sox veteran Tommy Pham and his 112 wRC+ alongside Raley, Mitch Haniger, and Dominic Canzone in their corner outfield mix, and as more teams inevitably make the decision to sell as the deadline approaches, it’s at least possible to imagine higher-profile players such as Cody Bellinger of the Cubs, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays, or Brandon Lowe of the Rays becoming available.

The bullpen, on the other hand, isn’t in quite as dire a situation in Seattle as the offense is. The club’s relievers rank 15th in the majors with a 3.86 ERA, but more advanced metrics like FIP (12th), xFIP (8th), and SIERA (7th) all indicate that the Mariners’ relief corps is stronger than that middling performance would otherwise indicate. That’s thanks in no small part to the fact that they’ve struck out a whopping 25.1% of batters faced this year, good for fourth among all MLB clubs. Seattle also benefits from having the freshest group of bullpen arms in the majors; no team has leaned on their relievers less often than the Mariners, who have only drawn 254 innings of work from their entire bullpen.

That said, virtually any contender can benefit from adding depth to their bullpen mix, and the Mariners are no exception. That’s particularly true given the rash of injuries the club’s relievers have faced in the first half. Back-end arms Matt Brash, Gregory Santos, and Gabe Speier have all missed significant time this year. While Santos and Speier both still figure to contribute this year, Brash is now expected to miss the entire campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery last month.

Giving manager Scott Servais another quality option to pair with Andres Munoz and Ryne Stanek in the late innings, particularly one that throws from the left side, would make plenty of sense for the Mariners. Marlins lefty Tanner Scott is likely to be the best lefty bullpen arm available this summer, but T.J. McFarland of the A’s, Matt Moore of the Angels, and Andrew Chafin of the Tigers are among the other pieces who could potentially be available in the coming weeks.

Brewers Acquire Dallas Keuchel From Mariners

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The Brewers have acquired left-hander Dallas Keuchel from the Mariners, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on X. The M’s will receive cash considerations in return, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com on X. The lefty was with the M’s on a minor league deal and not on the 40-man roster, meaning he won’t immediately need a 40-man spot with the Brewers.

Keuchel, 36, signed a minors deal with the Mariners and has made 13 Triple-A starts on the year to this point. He has allowed 3.93 earned runs per nine innings, despite pitching in the hitter-friendly environs of the Pacific Coast League. His 15.6% strikeout rate on the year is subpar but he’s always succeeded by limiting walks and keeping the ball on the ground, which has been the case again this year. He has a 7.6% walk rate and 59.5% ground ball rate for the Rainiers.

That’s generally been the recipe for Keuchel in his career, as he has thrown 1625 2/3 innings with a 4.02 ERA, 18.1% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate and 57.7% ground ball rate. At his peak, he won the 2015 American League Cy Young by posting a 2.48 ERA with the Astros, but his results have tailed off since then. He has a 6.29 ERA since the start of 2021, bouncing to the White Sox, Diamondbacks, Rangers and Twins in that time.

Those lesser results of late are why he had to settle for a minor league deal and why he may not have been able to crack Seattle’s rotation. They may lose Bryan Woo to the injured list, as he departed last night’s start with some hamstring tightness. But even if Woo is bound for the IL, the Mariners have a rotation consisting of Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert and Bryce Miller, with Emerson Hancock and Jhonathan Díaz candidates to come up and replace Woo.

The Brewers, however, have far more motivation for taking a shot on a veteran like Keuchel. They knew coming into the season that Brandon Woodruff would have to spend the whole season on the injured list recovering from shoulder surgery, but he has since been given plenty of company on the IL. Wade Miley and Robert Gasser both required UCL surgery and are also out for the year, while guys like Joe Ross and DL Hall are on the shelf due to other issues. Jakob Junis has been reinstated from the IL but has been working in relief.

That has left Milwaukee with a fairly patchwork rotation behind Freddy Peralta. The club moved Bryse Wilson from the bullpen to a starting role and he has a passable 4.24 ERA but less impressive peripherals. Colin Rea is similar, as he’s a 33-year-old journeyman with a 3.62 ERA on the year despite a tepid 15.6% strikeout rate. Tobias Myers and Carlos Rodríguez are both in their debut seasons and have limited experience. Rodríguez has a 7.30 ERA while Myers is at 3.12, though the underlying numbers suggest that performance from Myers may not be sustainable.

It’s far easier to see Keuchel slotting into that mix than the one in Seattle, so the Mariners have pocketed some cash and let him pursue an opportunity with the Brewers. Despite the rotation challenges, the Brewers are atop the National League Central, five games clear of the Cardinals, and could use some veteran stability between now and perhaps making further moves at the trade deadline.

If Milwaukee plans to add Keuchel to their roster, they will need to make a corresponding move, though that shouldn’t be a problem. As mentioned, Gasser is out for the year but he has not yet been transferred to the 60-day IL, so that’s an easy way for the Brewers to open a spot.

Mariners Place Bryan Woo On Injured List

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The Mariners placed Bryan Woo on the 15-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain before tonight’s loss in Tampa Bay. Seattle recalled reliever Collin Snider from Triple-A Tacoma to take the vacated active roster spot.

Woo left last night’s start in the fourth inning after experiencing the leg discomfort. The M’s sent him for imaging today. Woo told reporters he was diagnosed with a lower-grade variety of strain, though he wasn’t sure of the recovery timetable (X link via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times).

It’s the second injured list stint of the season for the second-year righty. Woo started the year on the IL with elbow inflammation. He had another scare a couple weeks ago when forearm discomfort led the team to scratch him from a scheduled start and send him for testing. An MRI fortunately came back clean and Woo was able to make two more starts before the leg issue.

A hamstring strain is far less of a long-term concern than any elbow or forearm injury would be. It’s nevertheless a disappointing setback for a pitcher who has been amidst a potential breakout season. Woo owns a sparkling 1.77 ERA in 40 2/3 innings. While he’s running a modest 18.7% strikeout rate, he has only walked three out of 150 batters faced. Woo has only allowed three runs in two of his eight starts.

Manager Scott Servais was noncommittal on who will step into the rotation spot (link via MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer). The M’s have off days on Thursday and next Monday, so they could get by without a fifth starter until late next week. Emerson Hancock has been Seattle’s top depth arm, taking eight starts. The former sixth overall draftee has struggled to a 4.79 ERA while striking out 13.5% of opposing hitters. The M’s tabbed left-hander Jhonathan Diaz for a spot start when Woo was scratched a couple weeks ago, but Hancock would’ve been on short rest that day.

Mariners Outright Seby Zavala

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TODAY: Zavala cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma, the Mariners announced.

JUNE 18: The Mariners have designated catcher Seby Zavala for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the roster will go to first baseman Ty France, who’s been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Seattle’s 40-man roster is now down to 37 players.

Acquired alongside flamethrowing relief prospect Carlos Vargas in the offseason trade sending Eugenio Suarez and his remaining salary to the D-backs, Zavala entered the 2024 season as the primary backup to catcher Cal Raleigh. He’s only appeared in 18 games and taken 43 plate appearances, however, in part due to Raleigh’s iron-man workload — his 503 innings behind the dish rank second in MLB to William Contreras — and also due to some pronounced struggles in that limited playing time. Zavala is batting just .154/.214/.282 with a 37.2% strikeout rate thus far.

The Mariners signed former Twins and Rangers catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver to a two-year pact over the winter, with the idea that Garver would serve as the full-time designated hitter. But as Garver has begun to heat up after a dreadful start at the plate (.229/.413/.571 over his past 46 plate appearances), the Mariners have begun using him at catcher more frequently. He’s still only made four appearances at the position, but they’ve all come in the past two weeks. And whether it’s coincidence or not, Garver’s turnaround at the plate has dovetailed with the team’s decision to begin plugging him back into the catcher’s spot on occasion.

With Garver now factoring into the catching equation, Zavala’s grip on a roster spot appeared increasingly tenuous. He’s a glove-first, light-hitting backup who’s always been prone to whiffs, as evidenced by a career 35.9% strikeout rate. The Mariners have been seeking ways to inject some life into a lackluster offense that has thus far been supported by a dominant pitching staff. Plugging Garver into that backup catcher role is one logical way to do that.

Though Zavala is highly prone to punchouts and carries an unsightly .205/.271/.342 batting line in 557 big league plate appearances, he’s a premium defender with particularly strong marks for his framing and ability to block balls in the dirt. Zavala is out of minor league options, so the Mariners didn’t have the ability to simply send him to the minors.

As such, Zavala will now be traded or placed on outright waivers within the next five days. Waivers themselves would be a 48-hour process. Within a week’s time, Zavala will know whether he’s cleared waivers or is headed to another team, either via trade or claim. He’s been outrighted previously, so if he goes unclaimed he’d have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency.

Report: Mariners Planning To Be Aggressive In Adding Offense

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The Mariners are planning to be aggressive in adding offense this summer, according to a report from Will Sammon, Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal the Athletic. The report adds that money isn’t expected to be an issue for them in the coming months, which tracks with comments from manager partner John Stanton earlier this month, when he said that the front office would have resources to bolster the club.

While many clubs around the league are hovering around .500 and waiting to decide if they are going to be buyers and sellers or somewhere on the fence, the Mariners are firmly positioned to buy. They have a record of 44-33 on the year and have an eight-game lead in the division, thanks to slow starts from the Astros and Rangers.

They have done that in a decidedly pitching-forward manner. The club has an overall batting line of .220/.300/.369 , which translates to a wRC+ of 97, indicating they have been three percent below average. But the pitching staff has a collective earned run average 3.53, the seventh-best mark in the majors. The rotation has been especially strong, as Seattle starters have a 3.39 ERA that’s behind just three clubs.

Given their position in the standings and the strength of their rotation, the club is well positioned to add a bat or two and strengthen the roster for a postseason run. As mentioned by the Athletic report, the club also has a very strong pipeline of prospects, with five guys on Keith Law’s recently-updated top 50 at The Athletic. Baseball America has seven Mariners on their top 100 at the moment. FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline each have four young Mariners on their respective top 100 lists.

The financial aspect of things is also good news, since that seemed to be an issue in the offseason. Due to concerns about TV revenue, the front office was reportedly given a smaller payroll increase than they had anticipated, which limited what they were able to do. The club didn’t make a qualifying offer to Teoscar Hernández and also made cost-cutting trades that sent away players like Eugenio Suárez and Jarred Kelenic.

They did add some of that money back to the ledger by signing Mitch Garver and acquiring Jorge Polanco, among other moves, but some fans were left feeling as though it amounted to a series of lateral plays. The fact that the club has started strong and now seems to have some financial wiggle room is surely encouraging relative to a few months ago.

All of those factors point to the Mariners being one of the most fascinating clubs to watch in the months to come. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto got the nickname “Trader Jerry” for being one of the executives with the strongest propensities for swinging deals. Now his club is going into next month’s deadline in a strong position to add, with prospects and money available for getting things done.

As noted by the report from the Athletic, the primary question for the front office to answer is exactly how much of their future talent are they willing to sacrifice in order to upgrade the team now. Teams seem to get more and more reluctant to give up top prospect talent as times goes on and the Seattle brass may have to make some tough decisions about whether to hold or let go.

There are different ways the M’s could go about adding offense. 16 players have taken at least 20 plate appearances this year with only five of them having an above-average wRC+: Ty France, Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore, Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone. After slow starts, Julio Rodríguez and Garver have begun to heat up. Cal Raleigh is striking out a lot but is a strong defensive catcher and has 12 home runs. J.P. Crawford seems to be getting BABIP’d while still providing strong shortstop defense.

The regulars with the largest struggles have been Polanco and Mitch Haniger. Polanco is currently on the injured list with a right hamstring strain while sporting a batting line of .195/.293/.302 for the year. He has five home runs and a strong 11.6% walk rate but his 30.9% strikeout rate would be easily the worst of his career if it stayed that way. Haniger is slashing .218/.286/.336 for a wRC+ of 83 with subpar defense to boot.

Moore has taken over second base in Polanco’s absence and has been performing well. He has the ability to play all over, which gives the club some flexibility in pursuing external additions. Some of the hitters that could be available include Tommy Pham, Eloy Jiménez, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Bryan De La Cruz. The White Sox may consider offers for Luis Robert Jr., though it would take a blockbuster to get something done there. The Angels and Athletics could look to move players like Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, Brandon Drury, Brent Rooker or Miguel Andujar, though the M’s may be reluctant to send young talent to a division rival. Depending on how the Wild Card races shake out, players like Randy Arozarena, Jesse Winker (though it’s hard to imagine Seattle bringing him back) or Mark Canha may become available as well.

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