Everyone has a price. Even billionaire owners, apparently. With a home series against the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays starting Friday, the Seattle Mariners are looking at the big picture. No not the postseason picture but rather that ever-important bottom line. The team store will be selling Blue Jays merchandise in T-Mobile Park.

Sacrilege? Well, a couple of Mariners players certainly think so and aired their grievances on Twitter. “What the Hell is this,” an incredulous Paul Sewald asked, via Talkin' Baseball. “Damn smh,” shortstop J.P. Crawford said.

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Now, it should be noted that this is not the first time Seattle has sold opponents' goods, but one can understand why this is getting to fans and players right now. After a momentous 2022 season that saw the M's storm into the postseason for the first time in 21 years, expectations were high heading into 2023. Needless to say, a 47-46 club four-and-a-half games out of an American League Wild Card spot is not what this city anticipated.

Selling the merchandise of one of the very teams they might have to catch in the standings is going to rub people the wrong way. What owner John Stanton sees as a surefire way to rake in some revenue, players might see as a slap in the face. The simple truth is that the Mariners are not one of the wealthiest franchises in the MLB and will probably jump at any chance they can to bring in extra cash.

But for many fans, accommodating the enemy might as well be the same as selling your soul. Dramatic? Maybe so. Regardless of how this controversial practice is perceived, Seattle is entering a crucial part of its schedule. A series sweep of the visiting Toronto would go a long way in quelling all of the outrage.