Mariners Reportedly Looking to Deal 'Almost Every Veteran' Ahead of Trade Deadline
By Karl Rasmussen
Well, the Seattle Mariners scorching hot start to the 2019 season came, and then it went. And now, the M's reality is starting to settle in; they are mediocre, at best.
After dealing Jay Bruce to the Phillies, while paying 87% of the $21 million guaranteed to the veteran, the Mariners are reportedly just getting started. Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the team is looking to deal almost every veteran on their roster, and are even willing to continue eating massive chunks of salary in order to offload them.
Jay Bruce is just the start of a Seattle fire sale. The Mariners are looking to deal almost every veteran on their roster, sources tell ESPN, and have shown a willingness to eat significant money in doing so. In the Bruce trade, Seattle guaranteed Philadelphia 87% of money owed.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 3, 2019
This could be a major shakeup to the landscape in the big leagues, as the Mariners are not only making many players available, they are making it financially affordable for teams, upping the willingness to strike a deal.
Players such as Edwin Encarnacion, Kyle Seager, Dee Gordon and many more could find themselves ushered out the exit door in Seattle in exchange for young prospects. The Mariners are preparing for a long rebuild it seems, and they're getting the process started early.
After dealing Edwin Díaz and Robinson Canó this offseason, it looks like more Mariners players are being flipped as the team builds for the future.
#Mariners are supposed to keep us interested until at least July. They made it until the end of April this year.
— Aaron Levine (@AaronQ13Fox) June 2, 2019
Contenders should be prepared to give the Mariners front office a call, as they will undoubtedly be sellers at the deadline. Seattle will be fielding a much younger team in the near future, and there could be some big names on the move as the dominos start to fall.