WATCH: Should Mariners Buy or Sell After All-Star Break?

Though they sit a game under the .500 mark at the All-Star break, the Seattle Mariners remain in the mix for both an AL West title and a wild card spot, leaving plenty to play for entering the second half of the season as they try to round back into form as the contender most expected them to be. Considering their standing, should they be active buyers at the trade deadline or shift into the role of seller with an eye on the future while still competing for a playoff spot?

Emerald City Spectrum reporter Callaghan Bluechel goes over the fork in the Mariners' road as Jerry Dipoto and company approach the trade deadline, and whether they should buy, sell, or do some mix of both.

Nick Lee 7/8/26 Nick Lee 7/8/26

What Would a ‘Buyer-to-Buyer’ Trade for Mariners Look Like?

It’s almost the All-Star break. That means it’s trade rumors season. It’s an exciting time for all 30 MLB teams. If your team is in contention, excitement builds about which players your team’s general manager might acquire from another team. Fans enjoy conjecturing trade packages that would benefit their team.

Even if your favorite team is seemingly out of the race (although with now three Wild Card spots, that pool of teams is smaller than ever), there are still reasons to tune in. Die hard fans of teams not in contention start stalking the prospects of other MLB organizations, guessing which teams might trade for their best big leaguers to merit exciting young talent in return.

This season is a bit unique. The American League, as a whole, has been very mediocre. Only one team in the entire AL (Angels) is double-digit games back of a playoff spot. Even the 38-54 Royals are 8.5 games back of the last AL Wild Card spot. This leaves the August 3 trade deadline in a weird spot.

That led to Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto having an interesting quote on MLB Network Radio, saying, “I think there are enough contending teams with real holes or needs to fill that you might actually see more action with contender trading with contender like, buyer-to-buyer type trades to fill voids.”

James McKedy 7/6/26 James McKedy 7/6/26

Analysis: Why Seiya Suzuki Could Be Missing Piece for Mariners

After coming up a few innings short of making the fall classic last October, the Seattle Mariners came into the season as one of the favorites to represent the American League in the World Series. Yet, even after winning five of its past six games, Seattle sits hovering just above the .500 mark.

Injuries and inconsistency have been the main culprits for not being able to pull away just yet in a pedestrian AL West division, but the inability to hit lefties has proven to be the M’s Achilles’ heel. During the offseason, the team added outfielder Rob Refsynder with the hopes he would help in that department, but he has been abysmal all season and recently landed on the disabled list with a knee injury, creating even more questions against southpaws.

Some improvement needs to come from current star players such as Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez on this front, but outside additions are needed for a second half surge and a shot to get to the World Series for the first time. Of all the realistic options potentially out there, one stands out as a win/win for both teams with the pitcher-needy Cubs and outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who would be the ideal deadline addition for the M’s for a variety of reasons.

Nick Lee 6/16/26 Nick Lee 6/16/26

Rest of AL West Doing Mariners Favor So Far, But Will It Last?

The 2026 Seattle Mariners have experienced a series of stops and starts thus far. They have been as many as five games under .500. They recently rode an eight-game winning streak to put them back on track towards leading the AL West division.

However, since that streak was snapped, the Mariners are back to an uneven stretch, going 4-7 since, with two series losses sandwiching a series split in Baltimore.

That’s not the type of success expected of a contender. Sitting at 37-36, that typically is not the record that would lead a division. For example, in the National League, they would be currently eight games back at least of any of the three divisions with that record and would even be outside of the Wild Card picture.

However, given that they are in the weaker American League, their record is good enough to be atop the AL West by just a half of a game over the Athletics despite ranking 13th in winning percentage overall in MLB.

Nick Lee 6/9/26 Nick Lee 6/9/26

One Clear Need Emerges for Mariners Ahead of Trade Deadline

Among the American League teams, it’s safe to say the Seattle Mariners are among the more complete squads. They have the star power in the lineup. They have a fearsome starting rotation. They have options off the bench to platoon. And they have a few elite arms coming out of the bullpen. They currently reside atop the AL West, two games ahead of the Texas Rangers.

However, over the last few weeks, it has become clear that they will need to make at least one addition at the trade deadline (certainly, more would be welcome).

Over the last week, the Mariners’ bullpen has hit a rocky patch. In their last 20 innings of work as a unit, they own a concerning 4.43 ERA, which ranks 20th in MLB in that timeframe. The biggest culprits in that span are Cooper Criswell (6.23 ERA in four appearances), Alex Hoppe (three earned runs in three innings), and a rough outing from closer Andres Muñoz.

Callaghan Bluechel 8/1/25 Callaghan Bluechel 8/1/25

Takeaways From Mariners POBO Jerry Dipoto’s Post-Deadline Media Availability

Jerry Dipoto sat down in the Mariners dugout to take questions from the media about the MLB trade deadline - and his answers provide some insight into quite a few questions that are flowing around the ball club with two months left in the regular season.

Guest User 7/30/25 Guest User 7/30/25

Analysis: Eugenio Suarez, Mariners Reunion Beefs Up Middle of Order

The good vibes will be back at T-Mobile Park, as the Mariners brought back one of their most popular sluggers from the past decade for a second stint to help the team’s playoff push with two months left to play.

Guest User 7/30/25 Guest User 7/30/25

Analysis: Mariners Bolster Bullpen by Acquiring Caleb Ferguson From Pirates

In need of bullpen reinforcements, the Mariners helped themselves out without having to get rid of one of their top prospects by adding southpaw Caleb Ferguson to the mix. What does the veteran lefty bring to Seattle’s relief corps?