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Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto discussed the Mariners' mindset ahead of the MLB trade deadline on his weekly radio show. Dipoto said Seattle hasn't been good enough this year to take an aggressive approach in this year's trading frenzy.
“We’ve not really separated ourselves in a meaningful way to be aggressive on the buying end,” Jerry Dipoto said. “Last year we were very aggressive in the trade market. We’re probably not going to be in that market.”
Seattle triumphantly ended its 21-year postseason drought last season but lost to the Houston Astros in the ALDS. This year's playoff chances, however, aren't looking great as the MLB trade deadline approaches.
The Mariners trail the Texas Rangers by 8 games in the AL West, so winning the division is probably a pipe dream. They're only 3.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot, but it seems like Seattle is more focused on the future than squeezing into this year's playoffs.
“We’re going to be more in the ‘margins’ market,” Dipoto said. “We are trying to find a way that we can get a little bit better in '23 and better situate ourselves for '24.”
If the M's can acquire some depth without sacrificing too much young talent, it's reasonable to make minor moves. However, Dipoto has made it clear that Seattle isn't willing to sell the farm this season.
The front office believes that even if the Mariners did make the playoffs, they aren't true contenders. Many of the big names on the trade market are one-year rentals anyway — the veteran guys. There's no guarantee of keeping players like that around for the future. So unless your team is contending for a title, it's not worth giving up prospects for them.
That being said, Seattle is still in a good spot with a bright future ahead. They won't be selling any of their top end talent either.
