The Mariners have spent much of this season stuck in the middle, close enough to stay in the race but never convincing enough to look like a real threat. That’s what makes the conversation around Randy Arozarena so revealing. When trading your best hitter becomes something people can discuss out loud, the problem goes way beyond one player.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan raised the possibility of Seattle moving Arozarena during an appearance on Seattle Sports, though he was careful to note how difficult that kind of move would be for a team still trying to win.
“I think you’re absolutely open to that possibility. I just don’t know what that looks like,” Passan said on Seattle Sports.
“And if we remember in the Nomar deal, they got back Orlando Cabrera, who was a clearly lesser player than Nomar Garciaparra. I don’t remember what the Red Sox’s record was when that trade was made, but I feel like in order to get rid of the guy who has been your best player, you at least need to be in some slight position of strength to suggest that we’re going to ship off someone who’s better than anyone else we have right now and get someone back that’s probably not as good.
… That’s a big leap to make.”
That’s the heart of it. Seattle entered the 2026 season with a lineup that already included Cal Raleigh, who hit 60 home runs and finished runner-up in the MVP race last season, and Julio Rodríguez, a five-tool center fielder. Arozarena becoming the club’s most dangerous offensive player was never the expected script.
And yet here we are.
The fact that a trade idea involving Arozarena doesn’t sound absurd says plenty about how this season has unfolded. The AL West has been there for the taking, but nobody has truly seized it.
Texas has been inconsistent. Houston has spent much of the year trying to climb out of an early hole.
The Athletics have been hit by injuries and poor pitching, and the second-half picture keeps getting worse. The Angels, well, are the Angels.
Seattle has had every chance to take control and hasn’t done it. Instead, the Mariners came out of the All-Star break hovering around .500.
Passan also pointed to the part of Arozarena’s game that can wear on everyone around him.
“When you see him running, and I use that term in air quotes, and then pulling up feet in front of a ball that he absolutely should have caught in left field, I think that has an enormous effect on everybody else,” Passan said. “Not just on the pitcher who’s like, dude, I worked hard for that out.
… Psychologically, it’s a real problem. But because he has been so effective this year, it’s almost like, well, that’s our Randy and you take the good, you take the bad.”
That criticism lands because it reflects the full Arozarena experience. There have been defensive mistakes and baserunning choices that can make a dugout grind its teeth. But those moments are not the real reason Seattle is even in a position to think about a move like this.
The bigger issue is that too few hitters have been asked to do too much. When one of them cools off or makes a mistake, the offense can go flat in a hurry. That’s not something a trade for Arozarena automatically fixes unless the Mariners get back a proven major league bat who can help right away.
So yes, a national insider can talk seriously about Seattle’s best hitter being available. That’s what happens when a team turns a wide-open division into another exhausting debate about whether the roster is worth backing.
If the Mariners reach the deadline thinking about trading Arozarena instead of building around him, that will be another sign of how badly they wasted the opportunity sitting in front of them.
In Other News...
Mariners Just Got An Injury Update That Changes The Deadline Mood
Brendan Donovans rehab assignment has moved to Tacoma, a sign the Mariners are getting closer to adding another useful piece at a time when every roster decision feels tied to the deadline. Donovan had already resumed playing in the Arizona Complex League, and the expectation now is that his activation conversation is still about 10 days away, which gives Seattle a little more time to sort out how he fits once he is ready.
Rob Refsnyder also has started his own rehab work with Tacoma after being out since June 26, adding another veteran bat to the list of moving parts. And while the big-league club waits on those reinforcements, the farm keeps producing small reminders of why the organization likes its depth, with Lazaro Montes launching his first homer for Tacoma as the Rainiers continue to be a busy stop on the way back to Seattle. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Mets Trade Buzz Comes Down To One Risky Question
The Mariners and Mets look like the kind of clubs that should line up neatly in a trade conversation: Seattle wants help on the right side of the plate and in the bullpen, while New York has made clear it is open for business. One name at the center of the buzz is Luke Weaver, a controllable late-inning reliever who has put together a 2.03 ERA across 40 innings and would fit a contender trying to shorten games in October.
Building an actual deal, though, is where the easy part ends. Seattle has to decide how far it wants to go with its prospect capital, and New York has to find a return that feels substantial enough to justify moving a useful arm. Luis Castillo has also surfaced as a possible starting point for Seattle if the talks shift toward pitching, but his salary complicates the picture and makes the whole framework harder to pull off without more pieces involved. [Read more 🡒]
Former Mariners Outfielder Finally Reached A Breaking Point In Oakland
Cade Marlowes patience in Oakland ran out this week, as the former Mariners outfielder used the opt-out in his minor league deal and moved on as a free agent. It was a notable turn for a player who had put together a strong Triple-A season and kept himself in the conversation, even as he tried to work his way back to the majors.
For Seattle fans, Marlowes path still carries some familiarity. He got into 42 big league games over two seasons with the Mariners before being designated for assignment and eventually choosing free agency, and his latest stop now leaves him searching again for a clearer route back to the majors. [Read more 🡒]