The Seattle Mariners apparently were among those who tried to kick the tires on a potential trade for third baseman Isaac Paredes. The All-Star infielder instead ended up going to the Chicago Cubs, as he was sent to the National League Central division ball club by the Tampa Bay Rays for r Christopher Morel, Hunter Bigge, and Ty Johnson.
“One of the seemingly strongest trade fits, Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes, was dealt to the Cubs on Sunday. Sources said that the Mariners pursued Paredes, but Chicago’s offer included an established MLB player in third baseman Christopher Morel,” wrote Daniel Kramer of MLB.com.
It appears that the Mariners simply didn't have enough assets they could afford to give up to continue their pursuit of Isaac Paredes, who turned 25 years old last February.
“We just don't have enough to subtract from our Major League club where I think it would make a ton of sense for us to go try to thread the needle in that way,” president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said.
With Paredes, the Cubs are getting an All-Star hitter who is batting .245/.357/.435 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs so far in the 2024 MLB regular season. Although his batting average this year is nothing to write home about, he owns a 127 OPS+. In addition, Paredes has a 12.1 walk rate this year, which is top 15 in the big leagues overall among qualified hitters, per FanGraphs. He could have been a big help for the Mariners, who are just 27th in the MLB with just a .300 OBP and only 28th with an unimpressive .668 OPS.
Paredes signed a one-year deal worth $3.4 million with the Rays last January to avoid arbitration, but he is still arbitration-eligible for the next three years.
What's next for the Mariners after failed Isaac Paredes pursuit?
Kramer also mentioned Dipoto getting asked about other trade plans for Seattle amid the Cubs' successful trade for Paredes. According to Dipoto, the Mariners will be checking on the availabilities of the likes of Yandi Diaz of the Rays, Brent Rooker of the Oakland A's, and Taylor Ward of the Los Angeles Angels.
“We're going to call on all of those guys,” Dipoto stated.
The Mariners have been busy of late. They have already made one of the loudest noises ahead of the trade deadline by acquiring star outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Rays in exchange for a package that included pitcher Brody Hopkins and outfielder Aidan Smith.
As mentioned earlier, the Mariners' offense has struggled with putting people on bases, so it just makes sense for Seattle to chase after a significant bat in the trade market.
Here's another insight from Jon Morosi of the MLB Network:
“Heard the Mariners talked with the Cubs about Christopher Morel before he was dealt to Tampa Bay. That suggests Seattle remains in the market for a corner infielder ahead of Tuesday's deadline.”
But despite their lackluster offense, which has also produced just 412 runs after 107 games, the Mariners are still hanging around the top of the standings in the American League West division. They are currently tied for the top spot even with the Houston Astros, who capitalized on the Mariners' slide this July to gain ground on Seattle and get to the top of the division.
The 56-51 Mariners, who just swept the Chicago White Sox in a three-game road series at Guaranteed Rate Field, are scheduled for a marquee series at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox that starts this Monday. After that, they will return home to host the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-leg set at T-Mobile Park.
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