Mariners Predicted to Land All-Star Slugger With 30-HR Power to Bolster Lineup

The Seattle Mariners are returning from the All-Star break with a slim one-game lead over the Houston Astros in the American League West. Seattle needs to add more offense before the July 30 trade deadline. Could All-Star slugger Isaac Paredes of the Tampa Bay Rays be the help manager Scott Servais’ club needs?

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter shared 10 bold predictions for the second half of the MLB season on July 18. One of his predictions is that the Mariners would land Paredes in a trade by the deadline.

“Meanwhile, the Mariners rank 28th in the majors with 3.87 runs scored per game and desperately need to do something to back up one of the best pitching staffs in baseball,” he said. “The team’s third basemen rank near the bottom of the league in batting average (.211, 28th), OPS (.634, 25th), home runs (7, 23rd) and RBI (27, 27th), and the Rays and Mariners have matched up on a number of deals in recent years.”

Paredes is making $3.4 million this year, per Spotrac. He’s also under team control through 2027, making him a potential long-term addition to Seattle’s lineup.

Paredes Would Be a Huge Upgrade for the Mariners

Quite a bit has changed for Paredes since making his MLB debut in 2020 with the Detroit Tigers. He appeared in 57 games between 2020 and 2021 for Detroit and didn’t produce much. The right-handed hitter struggled to a .593 OPS with just two home runs and 11 RBI in 193 plate appearances.

He landed with the Rays ahead of 2022 and his career has taken off since then. He posted a .740 OPS with 20 homers in 381 plate appearances for Tampa Bay in 2022. That was followed by a team-leading 31 homers with 98 RBI and .840 OPS in 2023. Paredes’ first career All-Star selection was made possible by hitting 15 homers with 50 RBI and a .823 OPS in 385 plate appearances this season.

Paredes has appeared in 77 games at third base in 2024. That’s likely where he’d play in Seattle if the Mariners acquired him. Josh Rojas has taken most of the reps at the hot corner for the M’s this season. He’s produced four home runs, 17 RBI and 32 runs scored with a .680 OPS in 86 games played.

Rays Are Open to the Idea of Trading Several Star Players

Tampa Bay is entering the second half on the bubble between buying and selling at the trade deadline. They’re 48-48 and 10 games out of first place in the American League East. They’re also 5.5 games behind the final AL Wild Card spot.

How the team performs over the next week or so could have a huge impact on what the Rays do before July 30. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi noted the Mariners’ general interest in making a trade with Tampa Bay. He also mentioned the Rays are willing to listen to offers involving not only Paredes but Randy Arozarena and Yandy Diaz, as well.

“Sources: The Mariners and Rays have yet to engage in serious dialogue about Seattle’s interest in adding an impact bat, but the teams are frequent trading partners and talks could advance in the days ahead,” he said on X (formerly Twitter). “Tampa Bay will listen on Arozarena, Diaz, or Paredes in the right deal.”

Diaz is another potential trade fit for Seattle. He’s a corner infielder who has played mostly first base in 2024. He’s struggled to a .726 OPS with eight homers so far this season. However, he’s fresh off a Silver Slugger Award campaign in 2023. That performance included a league-leading .330 batting average with 22 homers, 78 RBI and a sixth-place finish in AL MVP Award voting.