The Seattle Mariners are apparently all in on potential trade with the Toronto Blue Jays
Photo credit: MLB.com
The Seattle Mariners are set to face off in a three-game series this weekend, with both teams entering the matchup in compelling, and somewhat uncertain, situations as summer approaches.
Seattle is feeling the heat to show that their strong early-season offense is legitimate and to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, the team the Mariners defeated in that postseason, are simply trying to show they still have a promising path ahead.
The Mariners are pursuing a blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays.
Jackson Roberts from MSN writes that after becoming sellers at last July's trade deadline, the Blue Jays could be in the same position again if they don't rebound from their 17-20 start. While they locked up first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with an extension before he reached free agency, they still have several notable pending free agents on the roster.
"On Friday, Zachary Rymer of FanSided urged the Mariners to look into trades with the Blue Jays this summer, while noting that shortstop Bo Bichette would be a particularly strong fit for Seattle as a rental second baseman." -Roberts
Here's what Rymer had to say when asked why Bichette would be a perfect target for the Mariners.
"We know from Adam Jude of The Seattle Times that the Mariners were monitoring the infield market after Ryan Bliss went down with a torn biceps in early April," Rymer wrote. "While Ben Williamson, J.P. Crawford, and the tandem of Dylan Moore and Leo Rivas have stabilized things since then, Bichette still stands out as a guy who could be of use to Seattle." -Rymer
Rymer also writes that Bichette has only played shortstop in the majors, but shifting to second base is typically a relatively easy transition, just as fellow All-Star Trea Turner showed when he made the move after being traded to the Dodgers in 2021.
"The 27-year-old is a career .289 hitter, and too much is being made of his power outage (i.e., five home runs) across the last two seasons. His expected slugging percentage this year is .496, well above his career mark of .469." -Rymer
Bichette is in the final year of his three-year, $33 million deal and aiming for a much bigger payday in free agency. To secure that, he'll need to stay productive at the plate throughout the summer, no matter which team he ends up playing for, be it Toronto, Seattle, or another club.
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