The Seattle Mariners have the chance to win the AL West for the first time since 2001. The Houston Astros are right on their tail and they will have to add some more talent in their lineup to support the incredible pitching staff. One source of help might be the Tampa Bay Rays.

Despite a down year from Julio Rodriguez and the addition of Jorge Polanco not paying off that much, the M's are a winning team. Still, their recipe for success will be very, very tough to sustain if they don’t go shopping for some fresh ingredients. They have to make some upgrades before the July 30 trade deadline.

Any day now, the Mariners and the Rays could strike a trade that sends a high-level position player to the Emerald City, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Even though nothing is guaranteed to happen, there seems to be some smoke.

Morosi writes the following: “The Mariners and Rays have yet to engage in serious dialogue about Seattle’s interest in adding an impact bat, but the teams are frequent trading partners and talks could advance in the days ahead. Tampa Bay will listen on Arozarena, Diaz, or Paredes in the right deal.”

The Rays and Mariners have been involved in a bevy of trades together over the years. Diaz made his way to Tampa Bay in a three-team deal that also included the Cleveland Guardians. The two teams made a player swap this offseason, exchanging Luke Raley for Jose Caballero, who has been key for Tampa Bay this season. They also made a midseason trade as recently as 2021. What will be next?

Rays listening to trades for All-Star position players

Diaz and Arozarena were All-Stars last season and Paredes made it this season. Each of them should have a good amount of value, especially the established star in Arozarena and the 25-year-old, up-and-coming Paredes. Diaz, at 32 years old, may not generate as much buzz but has still been quite good at the plate in the last few seasons.

The Mariners don’t have anyone set in stone in their lineup besides Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh and J.P. Crawford. Polanco, Ty France and Mitch Haniger all have some job security but Seattle can’t beat around the bush when it comes to who it targets. Just about anyone can help the Mariners right now. With the chance they have to win the division, the time is now to make a splash.

Once a perennial playoff contender, the Rays are struggling to stay out of last place in the AL East. They have a 48-48 record and nowhere to go but into a fire sale. Keeping Paredes makes some sense given his age but the guys who are pushing or exceeding 30 years old should be dealt away to new teams.

So, if the two American League counterparts that both use navy blue and a light blue or green color in their branding strike another deal, it would be a huge one. The Mariners will be combing the trade market for options and the Rays are going to be fielding offers from a variety of teams.