The Seattle Mariners got off to a bit of a slow start this season, but have since climbed back to the top of the American League West, a division they won by three games last season before making a run to the AL championship series.
To bounce back from their ALCS loss, they may need to make some moves at the trade deadline, just as they did last year. They are on an eight-game winning streak, so that’s a good start, but some additional pieces might make sense.
The bullpen is one area that has performed well this season, posting a 3.00 ERA in the team’s 61 games thus far. However, relievers can be volatile, and that means Seattle could use a little bit of help at the trade deadline.
Mike Axisa of CBS Sports named left-hander and Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman a top trade candidate and had the Mariners as a team that could use him.
“Two of Chapman’s former teams stand out as contenders that need bullpen/closer help: the Cubs and Pirates. On the field, a reunion with the Yankees makes sense, though I don’t think either side would be enthusiastic about it,” Axisa wrote. “I wouldn’t rule out the Mariners as a possible landing spot for Chapman. There’s no such thing as too many good relievers.”
Aroldis Chapman Could Be Top Trade Candidate
Chapman has had another solid season to date with the Red Sox. He has lost his only decision but has saved 12 games in 19 appearances and has posted a 0.48 ERA. He is an eight-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and two-time American League Reliever of the Year.
Every time he has been traded at the deadline, it has been to a team that ended up winning the World Series. The New York Yankees traded him to the Cubs in 2016 and he won a ring. The same thing happened in 2023 when the Kansas City Royals sent him to the Texas Rangers.
The Mariners have yet to even reach the World Series in their franchise history, so if they do trade for Chapman, the deal would bode well for them based on that bit of information.
But having Chapman go next to Andres Munoz late in games would be huge for the Mariners, and it would help give them the edge they need to pull away from the rest of the pack in a weak AL West division.
Mariners Could Win AL West with Right Moves
If the right moves are made again by president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, then the Mariners could prove themselves as the team to beat in the AL West in 2026.
The trades they made last summer helped push them to the postseason, and they were just one win short of the World Series. A trade for Chapman would significantly strengthen the bullpen and put them in a great position to make a run in October.
We’ll see what Dipoto has planned for the deadline and if Chapman ends up on his radar.
Mariners Named a Trade Fit for Red Sox $13 Million All-Star Closer