What ESPN’s Passan expects from Seattle Mariners at trade deadline

Just two days before the 2025 trade deadline, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan discussed where things stand for the Seattle Mariners and what he expects from the team over the next 48-plus hours.

Mariners’ addition of Josh Naylor looks great in two surprising ways

Here’s a look at what Passan shared during his weekly Tuesday conversation with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

The expectations

The Mariners have already made one move in the last week, sending a pair of minor league pitchers to the Arizona Diamondbacks for first baseman Josh Naylor. What more could the M’s do in the next two days?

Asked by Brock Huard how many more players the Mariners would add by the deadline, Passan said at least two – a reliever and a hitter. And if it’s three, then two relievers and a hitter.

Huard’s co-host, Mike Salk, then pivoted to a different idea that’s come up some lately, particularly from MLB Network insider Jon Morosi during his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. Could the Mariners add a starting pitcher, with rookie Logan Evans potentially facing an innings limit and Bryce Miller still working his way back from the injured list for right elbow inflammation?

For one, Passan is optimistic Miller will be able to contribute for the Mariners down the stretch.

As for whether there’s a chance that Seattle will add a starting pitcher?

“Chance? Sure. Need? Eh. Priority? No,” Passan replied.

The market

There haven’t been many trades around the league to this point, but that could mean a couple days of frantic activity.

Where do things sit as of Tuesday?

“It is slow go at this point,” Passan said. “… I’m not sure that there are going to be any huge names that go.”

The biggest name expected to move is Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who is tied with Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh for the MLB lead with 87 RBIs and is also tied for fourth with 36 home runs. But with his contract up after this season, the Diamondbacks’ asking price has reportedly been really high.

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The Mariners have a well-stocked farm system and reportedly had identified Suárez as their No. 1 target, but that doesn’t mean they’re looking to overpay to reunite with the All-Star slugger.

“It’s going to be really interesting to see where Suárez winds up,” Passan said. “… I don’t think that the Mariners are going to give up one of their top prospects for a rental bat, regardless of how good Eugenio Suárez actually is. So it’s going to be interesting to see from the Mariners’ perspective, can they thread that needle with Suárez or are they going to devote their attention trying to pick up guys around the margins?”

The Mariners also want to add impact to their bullpen, but Passan said they may be in a similar spot there, especially if they’re targeting relievers with multiple years left on their contracts.

“I don’t think that they’re going to be the high bidder necessarily on any of the the top relief arms with multiple years of control,” Passan said. “Like, going out and getting (Minnesota’s) Griffin Jax would be awesome, or getting (fellow Twins pitcher) Jhoan Duran would be fantastic. But are they going to be willing to to offer up two top 100 prospects for that guy? No, they’re not. And so if that is the threshold and the standard, and Minnesota’s sticking firm to that, then that’s not going to happen.”

One hurdle, Passan said, could be the potential of a lockout after next season.

“I was not considering this either until recent days. After this year, Griffin Jax has two years of club control remaining. The 2026 season is going to be great, and he would be an incredible bridge alongside Matt Brash to Andrés Muñoz. Or if Muñoz has pitched too much, he would be a guy who is a perfect candidate to close. What about 2027 when there might not be a season? Don’t you have to factor that in when you’re considering the price that you’re willing to pay for a guy who has two years of club control?”

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan joins Brock and Salk at 8:30 a.m. each Tuesday during the baseball season. Catch Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk live from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

Seattle Mariners trade deadline coverage

• Who the Mariners are jockeying with for Suárez on trade market
• Salk: Naylor trade gives Mariners leverage for more moves
• Dipoto: Mariners to be ‘aggressive’ in bullpen trade market
• If Mariners want to go big on a bullpen trade, there are options
• How Naylor addition helps Seattle Mariners in multiple ways

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