The Mariners didn’t leave the trade deadline empty-handed, but they also didn’t land the kind of impact piece that would have changed the conversation around their offense. They brought in Taylor Ward and Seranthony Domínguez, checked on another reliever, and, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, they also made at least a pass at Angels shortstop Zach Neto.
That inquiry didn’t get very far. Neto stayed put, and the talks between Seattle and Los Angeles never really picked up steam. Even so, the fact that the Mariners were in the mix makes sense.
Seattle sits at 56-60, and one of the biggest reasons is how inconsistent the offense has been. Neto, for all the swing-and-miss in his game, has given the Angels something the Mariners have too often lacked: dependable production. He’s been at least 10 percent above league average in OPS+ in each of the last three seasons, and he’s on pace for a third straight 20-20 campaign.
He’s also struck out an AL-high 160 times, which would only add to the strikeout load in a Seattle lineup that already has too much of it. And if you’re looking for comfort at T-Mobile Park, Neto’s career .624 OPS there doesn’t exactly jump off the page.
But the larger issue for Seattle is the left side of the infield, and that’s where Neto starts to look like more than just a deadline curiosity.
Colt Emerson is locked in, but J.P. Crawford is headed for free agency.
Brendan Donovan’s season showed he was a bad third baseman even before the lower half of his body noped out. Michael Arroyo is the most MLB-ready infielder in the system, though he looks more like a left fielder than a second baseman if you take Cole Young out of the picture.
That leaves the Mariners with very few clean answers. If they’re not bringing Crawford back, the free-agent shortstop and third-base market doesn’t offer much. Third-base trade options are thin, too, which could make a shortstop trade the only realistic route.
That’s why Neto makes sense as an offseason target. If Seattle had gotten him at the deadline, he would have pushed Colt Emerson back to third base.
That didn’t happen, and it’s worth noting that CJ Abrams and Otto Lopez also stayed where they were. Of that group, though, Neto looks like the likeliest to surface again this winter.
Rosenthal’s report also mentioned George Kirby and Emerson Hancock, noting that trade discussions involving them never “advanced past the 50-yard line.” It isn’t clear whether Seattle was looking to move either one for Neto specifically, but the framework would have made sense. It could again in the offseason, especially if Kirby is the arm being floated.
There’s still the larger uncertainty hanging over anything tied to 2027, with a lockout looking increasingly likely. But for a Mariners team trying to map out a real contender for next year, revisiting Neto should be part of the plan.
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Williamson was traded to Tampa Bay in the 2026 offseason as part of a three-team deal, so this week had been set up as a first look back at the player the Mariners sent out of town. The injury has already pushed him onto the injured list, and his status for the series is in doubt, which means the reunion Seattle expected may end up waiting longer than anyone hoped. [Read more 🡒]