Subscribe
Follow Us
The Seattle Mariners are still very much in the playoff race, and they are playing some great baseball. They are 5.0 games out of first place in the American League West, but they hold a 1.5 game lead on the final Wild Card spot. Because of this, Seattle has some decisions to make regarding the MLB trade deadline. They are poised to be sellers, which means some prospects are going to be on the move.
With that in mind, the prospects on the move are going to largely be dependent on the player the Mariners decide to trade for. If it is a player that is going to be harder to get from a team, or one that many teams are interested in, the price is obviously going to skyrocket.
Seattle has a great chance to win this season. They are a great team, but have a few missing pieces before becoming true World Series contenders. Below are two prospects the team should trade in order to make their big league roster better.
Ashton Izzi would be a good trade candidate
The Mariners were extremely high on Ashton Izzi when they drafted him in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB draft. In fact, they gave Izzi above slot value to steer him away from his college commitment. The expectations were high for Izzi, and he currently sits as the No. 16 prospect in the Mariners organization.
In his first season of pro ball, the right-handed pitcher owned an ERA north of 8.00 threw nine starts. He pitched just 18.1 innings, allowed opponents to hit .361 off him, and struck out just 13 batters while walking eight. However, he picked it up last year. Izzi threw over 100 innings, struck out 95 batters, opponents hit just .230 off him, and he owned a 2.85 ERA.
The potential is there with Izzi, despite 2025 not going his way. He sits in the mid-90s, and throws both a four-seam fastball and a sinker. He also has a sweeper that can be good. Additionally, the 21-year-old has a changeup, but it has not been as good of a pitch for him.
With all that said, there are plenty of teams that will want to take a chance on a pitcher with the upside that Izzi has. If Seattle tries to trade for someone like Eugenio Suarez, it would not be surprising to see Ashton Izzi in the trade package.
Michael Arroyo could make a trade package undeniable
Michael Arroyo was an international signee in 2022. He is the No. 5 prospect in Seattle's organization, so his potential and expectations are through the roof. Being the No. 5 prospect in an organization means the Mariners could be reluctant to give him up. However, if they want to make a trade package more appealing to beat out some other teams, Arroyo could be on the move.
This season, the middle infielder is slashing .276/.422/.515 with 17 home runs, 47 RBI, and 50 walks drawn through 80 games played. Looking at those numbers, the Mariners may not want to trade him at all. However, if the team is serious about contending for World Series, or even the AL West crown, they have to make some tough decisions.
Arroyo is only one or two years away from being a big league player, but he will need some more time to develop, especially because he is only in Double-A right now. The reason trading him could be the move is there are free agents to turn to this offseason. Additionally, Cole Young and J.P. Crawford are locked up until at least the end of next season.
If the Mariners do decide to trade Arroyo, they will be able to get their top trade target, whoever that may be.
