MLB trade deadline rumors: The latest on the Mariners, Garrett Crochet and more

The way the Seattle Mariners see it, they’re a game out of first place in the AL West with 58 games remaining. So, they’re not going to stop trying to upgrade even after blowing a 10-game division lead and placing Julio Rodríguez and shortstop J.P. Crawford on the injured list Tuesday.

Teams go through bad months. The Mariners, though, have gone through a really bad month. Their record from June 19 to Wednesday was 9-20, mostly because they couldn’t hit. They ranked fifth in the majors in ERA during that span and 29th in runs.

The question is, which bats can they acquire in a thin market? First base was an obvious hole even before the Mariners designated Ty France for assignment, but three potential trade candidates – the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker and the Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – are all but off the market.

The Chicago White Sox‘s Luis Robert Jr.? Undeniably talented, and an impact player when healthy, which isn’t always the case. But for the Mariners, adding another strikeout-prone type to an offense with the highest strikeout rate in the majors might not be the best idea.

Here is a partial list of hitters who at least to some extent are available, according to industry sources briefed on trade discussions:

Tampa Bay Rays: Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz, Brandon Lowe, Isaac Paredes.

San Francisco Giants: Michael Conforto, Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski.

Los Angeles Angels: Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo.

Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins Jr.

Miami Marlins: Jazz Chisholm Jr., Josh Bell.

Washington Nationals: Lane Thomas, Jesse Winker.

The Mariners’ midseason fade not only gave the Houston Astros a chance to rebound from their 7-19 start, but also figures to end any possibility of the Texas Rangers becoming an outright seller.

The defending World Series champions entered Wednesday three games under .500, but just three games out of first place. Third baseman Josh Jung and left fielder Evan Carter are expected back from injuries shortly after the deadline. The pitching staff likewise will be bolstered by the coming returns of Dane Dunning, Cody Bradford, Tyler Mahle and Jacob deGrom.

If anything, the Rangers’ pitching depth might enable them to trade a starting pitcher. The team would like to add another bat, and perhaps a controllable reliever.

Michael Lorenzen, a potential free agent, would be one candidate to move, particularly if the Rangers do not project him as part of a postseason rotation. Jon Gray, under contract next season for $13 million, would be another possibility, though he also could shift to the bullpen the way he did in last year’s playoffs. Adding Gray to a mix that already includes José Leclerc, Josh Sborz, David Robertson and Kirby Yates would make the group that much more formidable.

The Rangers, according to a source briefed on their thinking, would be less inclined to deal Nathan Eovaldi, a postseason stalwart, and Andrew Heaney, who exercised a $13 million player option last November to remain with the club.

Some in the industry expect the Chicago White Sox to hold left-hander Garrett Crochet, believing that an even greater number of buyers will emerge in the offseason and that his value is greater in his additional two years of club control than in 2024.

At the moment, the teams with the most interest in Crochet are contenders. The list of suitors could expand in the offseason to include teams out of contention, but planning to compete in 2025. The Chicago Cubs, for example. The Blue Jays. Perhaps even the Nationals.

By that point, Crochet will be coming off a season of say, 140 to 150 innings. He already has thrown 111⅓, more than double his career high as a professional. His ability to remain a starter for the rest of this season is in question, so he would be a better match for an acquiring team in 2025 and ’26.

Crochet, who turned 25 only last month and is earning $800,000 this season, will remain affordable through his final two years of arbitration.

From Ronald Acuña Jr. to Ozzie Albies, Max Fried to Michael Harris II to Spencer Strider, the amount of star power on the Atlanta Braves’ injured list is staggering. But like the Mariners, what are they supposed to do, give up?

Entering Wednesday, the Braves were nine games over .500. They held the top NL wild-card spot. Their playoff odds were 85%. In a relatively weak National League, they certainly were in position to think big.

Ideally, the Braves would add a controllable starting pitcher, the most difficult commodity to acquire at the deadline or any other time of year. Their need is obvious. Fried is a free agent after this season. Charlie Morton might retire. Strider will be coming off major elbow surgery.

A rental outfielder, though, is a more realistic target. The Braves do not need a controllable type with Acuña Jr. expected back next Opening Day, Harris and Jarred Kelenic likely filling the other two spots in 2025 and the exercising of designated hitter Marcell Ozuna‘s $16 million option looking like a near-certainty.

In the end, Atlanta’s starting pitching – Fried, Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Morton – should give the team a chance in October, provided it is healthy. In 2021, when the Braves won the World Series, they allowed only 18 runs combined in their 11 wins.

When assessing trade candidates, teams look at just about everything.

Consider the Rays’ Paredes, an All-Star who is 25, plays multiple positions and is under club control for three additional seasons. A number of teams, including the Rangers and Astros, like him. The Rays’ asking price will be understandably high. But a player whose pull percentage since 2022 is the highest in the majors might not enjoy the same success in every park.

Entering Wednesday, all 69 of Paredes’ career homers were to left field or left-center, and most were toward the foul line. His home-road splits for homers – 39 at home, 30 on the road – were reasonably close. But his career OPS at Tropicana Field was .843, while on the road it was a mere .710.

Paredes would be perfect at Houston’s Minute Maid Park, taking aim at the Crawford Boxes. His expected home-run totals at every other park are lower.

The Blue Jays remain focused on moving players with expiring contracts, a group that includes left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, right-handed relievers Yimi Garcia and Trevor Richards and catcher Danny Jansen.

Garcia, who came off the injured list Friday after missing more than a month with right ulnar nerve neuritis, could be a bit tricky. He has pitched only once since returning, and before the deadline, contenders might want to see him go back-to-back days.

Jansen, batting just .214 with a .680 OPS, also might not be an easy sell. His expected offensive numbers aren’t much different than his actual ones. And teams generally prefer to add catchers in the offseason, giving the players a chance to learn a new pitching staff during a full spring training.