The MLB trade deadline is coming soon and that means trade rumors and this year the Seattle Mariners appear to be buyers and names like Matt Kemp, Dayan Viciedo, Josh Willingham, Chase Headley and David Price could be in the mix, as the team needs some more offense and power and could be trading for a bat at some point this summer.
The Mariners are the second wild card team in the American League right now and they have been playing much better than everyone expected. Signing Robinson Cano has been a massive boost and Lookout Landing at SB Nation writes that the team could be looking for a bat this year at the deadline. According to the Sporting News, some names that could be available include Kemp, Dayan Viciedo, Josh Willingham and Chase Headley, while another name to watch is Alfonso Soriano, who was DFA'ed by the Yankees.
The Mariners have one of the best run differentials in the league, but they also have struggled at times to score runs and that is one reason why they could go after a bat. The team was mentioned in connection with David Price, but with Taijuan Walker back and James Paxton also on the mend, the team doesn't really need to mess much with a rotation that had one of the best ERA's in baseball in June. Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma have been excellent, while Chris Young and Roenis Elias have been very solid at three and four and now Walker takes over at five to give the team a strengthened rotation.
According to Hardball Talk, the Mariners were connected in talks to the White Sox and Dayan Viciedo earlier in the season and now ESPN.com is reporting that he could be traded at the deadline. ESPN.com reporter Gordon Edes writes that the San Francisco Giants and the Mariners are interested in making a deal and it could depend on who has the better prospects to deal in a trade. Edes writes that the Mariners have been thinking about a potential package including Brandon Maurer, while the Giants have some players they could send over as well.
Kemp has been stuck in a logjam of outfielders in LA and he could be the odd man out once Carl Crawford comes back, as Andre Ethier and Yasiel Puig have played better than he has. The Mariners were also linked to Kemp in the offseason and those talks could pick up as the team goes on. Viciedo is an intriguing option, as he is just 25 years old and he comes in hitting over .250 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs and that is solid enough power for the Mariners. The team likely would have to give up Maurer, who has just moved into the bullpen and has been fantastic as a reliever.
Willingham and Headley are options as well and teams like the Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays also could be interested. Willingham is with the Twins and they are going nowhere, while Headley has been mentioned in trade rumors in each of the past two seasons. The Mariners likely would want an outfielder over a 3B, as they have Kyle Seager, who was just named an All-Star for the first time.