WEST SACRAMENTO -- The Trade Deadline sweepstakes for Eugenio Suárez quite literally took a hit on Monday night when the market’s top available bat was hit by a 95.6 mph fastball on his right hand in the ninth inning, as his D-backs fell to the Tigers. X-rays came back negative, though Suárez told reporters postgame that he will undergo further tests on Tuesday. Suárez’s status was already of immense intrigue leading into Thursday’s 3 p.m. PT Deadline, with the Mariners among the handful of teams that have been most aggressively pursuing him. Yet, now all eyes will turn to his health, as the timing of a potential injury could not have been worse -- to the D-backs, who’ve been seeking what industry sources have described as an “astronomical” trade package to acquire him, and the many contenders seeking a slugging third baseman, who may have to instead look elsewhere. Ironically, the Tigers are among those teams -- as are the Cubs, and to a lesser extent, the Phillies, Reds, Brewers and Astros, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The Mariners and D-backs have already done business in this Deadline season, with Seattle acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor on Thursday -- a move that remains the sport’s most prominent so far, and one that sparked Arizona’s sell-off. |
Though the framework of the Naylor deal had been in the works for a while, it didn’t actually come together until a frenzied one-hour period at the end, once Arizona lessened its asking price that yielded Minor League pitchers Brandyn Garcia (Seattle’s No. 14 prospect by MLB Pipeline) and Ashton Izzi (No. 16). If Suárez is indeed healthy, it’s possible that a similar dynamic could take place in a potential deal for him, league sources have said -- because so far, the ask has been great enough that the Mariners have already pivoted more aggressively to other trade targets, notably for another bat, and most chiefly, a leverage relief arm. Seattle has eight prospects within MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, positioning the club to conceivably make any deal it wants, and word is that Arizona is asking for multiple among that group for Suárez. The Mariners must also weigh 50-ish games of Suárez -- who is a free agent at season’s end -- or any rental, and the potential of six years of service time from each of their prospects before reaching free agency should they pan out in the Majors. Whether or not the D-backs’ ask comes down, Suárez’s value -- again, assuming he’s healthy -- could also reach an apex even before the Deadline, where buying teams gain more leverage. For example, the Yankees have already bowed out of the Suárez sweepstakes by instead acquiring Ryan McMahon from the Rockies on Friday. Third base is a priority for the Mariners, who’ve used rookie Ben Williamson there since mid-April. He’s played Gold Glove-caliber defense -- perhaps with no game bigger than his huge night in Monday's win over the A's -- but his .293 on-base percentage and .315 slugging percentage are limited for a team with postseason aspirations. “We don't want to rob [Williamson] him of his opportunities,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told MLB Network Radio on Sunday. “But if there's a way we can get better and put a more impactful team on the field, we have to at least be aware of what that is.” |
An emerging team to watch is the Twins, who signaled that they’re open for business on Monday when trading starting pitcher Chris Paddack within the division to Detroit. Willi Castro is Minnesota’s clearest position-player fit for Seattle -- a utility man who switch-hits, precisely the type of skill set that this front office covets -- and the Mariners have indeed made calls inquiring on the veteran’s availability, a league source said. The Mariners also pursued Castro last offseason but the Twins were not in sell mode. Castro is also a rental and earning $6.4 million this season, far less than Suárez ($15 million) and Naylor ($10.9 million). The 28-year-old has a .797 OPS and nine homers since returning from a right oblique strain on May 6, and could be used in the corner outfield, second base or third base, having played at least 10 games at each of those positions in 2025. Beyond Castro, Minnesota has a pair of leverage relievers that, on paper, are precisely the type that Seattle is seeking: Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran, both of whom aren’t free agents until after 2027. Duran would cost more, with a 1.86 ERA, 16 saves and a 100.3 mph average fastball velocity that is the sport’s third highest. But Jax (4.00 ERA, 98.2 mph average heater) would be a nice consolation prize if the Twins put a prohibitive price tag on their closer. |
The Mariners have also been heavily scouting the Rockies’ bullpen, per sources -- specifically Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Juan Mejia. Other selling teams with coveted relievers are the Pirates (David Bednar, Dennis Santana), Cardinals (Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton), Marlins (Anthony Bender) and Nationals (Kyle Finnegan), among others. “We will be as aggressive in that area of the market as just about anybody, I would imagine,” Dipoto said. |
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MILLER EYEING MID-AUGUST RETURN |
Bryce Miller threw a two-inning live batting practice on Friday against Triple-A Tacoma hitters at Cheney Stadium and has reached a 40-pitch threshold, putting him in line to potentially return in the next two-ish weeks. “If all goes well, we should have him back in our rotation no later than the middle of August,” Dipoto said, adding that Miller’s fastball velocity touched 97 mph. The next step would be for Miller to begin a rehab assignment with Tacoma, which could conceivably come later this week, as he’s expected to remain on a five- or six-day routine, and he’ll likely need multiple rehab starts before returning. Miller has noted that he won’t truly know how much his pitching arm can handle until he gets into the third, fourth and fifth innings of an outing, especially given that this is his second stint on the injured list this season with right elbow inflammation relating to a bone spur. |
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