Dipoto: Mariners to be ‘aggressive’ in bullpen trade market
Jul 27, 2025, 1:25 PM
The Seattle Mariners kicked off the MLB trade season on Thursday by acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But the M’s don’t appear to be done making moves before the July 31 trade deadline.
Watch: Cal Raleigh continues tear with home run No. 40
Shortly after the Naylor trade on Thursday, Seattle Sports’ Shannon Drayer reported the Mariners are “very much still open” to swinging another deal with Arizona to reunite with slugging third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who is tied for fourth in the majors with 36 home runs.
Seattle also could look to upgrade its bullpen. Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said as much during an appearance Sunday on SiriusXM MLB Network Radio’s Front Office show.
“We do have some other areas we’d like to address – and not the least of which is, like every other team in the postseason hunt, we’d like to add to that bullpen,” Dipoto said.
The Mariners have an elite one-two punch out of the bullpen in two-time All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz and high-leverage reliever Matt Brash.
But they could still use another quality arm. Seattle’s bullpen as a whole has been relatively pedestrian this season, ranking 12th in the majors in ERA (3.81), 19th in WHIP (1.32), 15th in opponent batting average (.239) and 19th in strikeout rate (21.6%).
Related: If M’s want to go big on a bullpen trade, there are options
Some of the top relievers who could be available on the trade market include Cleveland Guardians right-handers Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith, Minnesota Twins right-handers Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander David Bednar, Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Pete Fairbanks and St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Ryan Helsley.
“We are dialed on the bullpen,” Dipoto said. “And that makes us like just about everybody else who’s trying to get to the finish line. But the bullpen, as you know, they are the late movers. And somewhere in the last day or two, and maybe in the last hour or two, you’ll start seeing 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, I would imagine.”
Seattle Mariners news and analysis
• Drayer: Ichiro cherishing Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown
• Ichiro Reflects: How his toughest moments with Mariners led to his best
• How Josh Naylor helps the Seattle Mariners in multiple ways
• If Seattle Mariners want to go big on a bullpen trade, there are options
• Where Suárez market stands for Mariners after Yankees trade for a 3B
