Passan: Trade deadline comment by Mariners’ Dipoto ‘interesting’

Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto had an intriguing comment about the upcoming MLB trade deadline when he joined MLB Network Radio’s Front Office show on Sunday.

Mariners’ Dipoto drops a big hint about MLB trade deadline

“I think there are enough contending teams with real holes or needs to fill that you might actually see more action with contender trading with contender – like, buyer-to-buyer type trades to fill voids,” Dipoto said.

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan reacted to Dipoto’s comment Tuesday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, explaining both why those buyer-to-buyer trades don’t tend to happen during the season, and why he thinks it would be hard for the M’s to find a trade fit with another contending team before the Aug. 3 deadline.

“It was interesting that he said that because buyer-buyer trades are like the hardest thing to execute at the deadline, just because there has to be a perfect fit positionally, and there has to be depth there to backfill it,” Passan responded. “And there just aren’t many teams that have that significant depth at the position-playing side, or at least enough incentive to push them to go out and get a pitcher from the Mariners – and that’s where I think the Mariners would be trading from. I don’t foresee them moving any of their position players. If they were to, would it be maybe a Luke Raley or maybe a Dom Canzone?”

So what’s a more realistic trade option for the Mariners, who are in need of a right-handed bat and bullpen help, and have depth with lefty hitters, the starting rotation and a well-stocked farm system?

“I think it’s going to be much more along the lines of the Geno Suárez trade last year,” Passan said, referring to Seattle’s re-aquisition of slugger Eugenio Suárez from Arizona in 2025 for a trio of prospects, none of which were considered among the Mariners’ minor league headliners.

Passan’s answer had to do as much with how Seattle’s best-known prospects are probably too valuable to be dealt in the current MLB landscape full of parity.

“I mean, obviously, Kade Anderson, not going anywhere. Ryan Sloan, not going anywhere. Laz Montes, not going anywhere for for a rental. (Michael) Arroyo,” Passan continued. “This would likely be more in the, I don’t know if it would be Jonny Farmelo, I think that even is a little bit too heavy for (Felnin) Celesten or Nick Stevenson. It feels like that next tier of (prospects) down below, maybe one or two of them, in the same way that I think the Mariners traded three prospects (for Suárez). … And that’s probably, I think, the acquisition cost for (Orioles outfielder) Taylor Ward this time around.”

Hear the full Brock and Salk conversation with ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan in the podcast at this link or in the player below. Catch Brock and Salk from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

Seattle Mariners news and more

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• Seattle Mariners Trade Deadline: Market for righty bats

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