The Seattle Mariners snapped their postseason drought a season ago, but returning to the playoffs will be a challenge in 2023. The Mariners have endured a mediocre campaign, currently sporting a 50-50 record which places them fourth in the American League West. As a result, Seattle is facing a difficult decision ahead of the trade deadline. ESPN's Jeff Passan recently wrote in an article that the Mariners are in a “tricky spot” as they decide whether to buy or sell.

“Adding is unlikely, unless a controllable frontline bat hits the market, as the Mariners don't want to trade from their surfeit of excellent big league starting pitchers. This week will determine if Seattle goes the other way,” Passan wrote.

He added that RP Paul Sewald and OF Teoscar Hernandez could emerge as trade candidates if the Mariners don't start winning on a consistent basis prior to the deadline.

Mariners trade deadline plans

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Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto previously hinted at the team's deadline mindset.

“We’ve not really separated ourselves in a meaningful way to be aggressive on the buying end,” Dipoto said on his radio show, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “Last year we were very aggressive in the trade market. We’re probably not going to be in that market.”

Between Passan's report and Dipoto's comments, it seems highly unlikely that Seattle will buy this season. However, one exception could be made. If the Los Angeles Angels make Shohei Ohtani available, the Mariners have been mentioned as a possible trade suitor. Acquiring Ohtani would be risky since there's no guarantee the Mariners will even reach the playoffs in 2023. In fact, they trail the Angels in the standings as of this story's publication.

If anything, Seattle will probably pursue Ohtani in free agency rather than trade for him. It's more likely that players such as Hernandez and Sewald will be made available by the Mariners. Seattle won't enter a complete rebuild, as they still believe in their steady core of players, but quickly re-tooling is an option without question.