Seattle, WA

Seattle Mariners Trade Targets: 3 bats from teams on the bubble

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2024

Seattle Mariners Trade Targets: 3 bats from teams on the bubble

The Seattle Mariners remain in a fight for the American League West and in need of offense with the July 30 MLB trade deadline drawing ever closer.

Mariners Roster Move: First baseman called up, Bliss optioned

The trade market has been slow so far this month, a result of so many teams remaining in the postseason race. Before the deadline hits, however, there are sure to be some teams that will decide to sell.

Who could be available bats from teams on the playoff bubble? ESPN MLB reporter Jesse Rogers identified three players when he joined Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on a recent show.

Rogers was asked by Michael Bumpus about hitters that could potentially become available that may help the Mariners despite not being the most exciting names, and Rogers pointed to the Washington Nationals’ Lane Thomas, the San Francisco Giants’ Jorge Soler, and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Joc Pederson.

“I think there’s a bunch of teams that have decent hitters that are in the mix, and if they decide to sell, that could be fruitful for the Mariners – especially if they’re willing to take up some salary,” Rogers said. “… The key (is) which teams are going to sort of fall out of it, and at that point the Mariners should want to pounce. But even without that, we know there’s going to be some hitters available, and I think the Mariners should pounce either way.”

Here’s a quick look at each of those three hitters Rogers mentioned, as well as the situations their teams currently sit in.

Potential Seattle Mariners trade targets

Lane Thomas, OF, Washington Nationals

The regular right fielder for the Nats, Thomas probably qualifies as the most interesting of the three players Rogers mentioned. He’s younger than the others, with his 29th birthday coming up next month, and he has a year of club control left. He’s making $5.45 million this year with one more season of arbitration eligibility before he’s set to hit free agency after the 2025 season.

This year, Thomas owns a .246/.315/.396 slash line for a .712 OPS with eight home runs and a career-high 25 stolen bases in 71 games, though he’s also been caught stealing a league-most 10 times. Thomas had a big season in 2023, slashing .268/.315/.468 for a .783 OPS with 28 homers and 20 steals.

Thomas’ Statcast page reveals some strong intangibles, as he’s 95th percentile this year in MLB in arm strength, 93rd percentile in sprint speed, and 92nd percentile in chase percentage (how often a hitter swings at pitches outside of the strike zone).

The Nationals entered Monday with a 47-53 record, which is four games back of the National League’s last wild card. There are a lot of teams between them and the playoffs, however, as three teams are tied for that last wild card, and there are another three before you get to the Nationals, who also happen to be tied in the standings with the Cincinnati Reds. Only two teams remain in the NL after that.

Jorge Soler, DH, San Francisco Giants

Let’s get the hard part out of the way first. The 32-year-old Soler is in the first year of a three-year, $42 million contract, and he’s struggled this year at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, which has a similar offense-suppressing environment to Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.

This season, Soler has a .225/.302/.400 slash line for a .702 OPS with 11 homers, 20 doubles and a triple in 85 games. An All-Star last season with the Miami Marlins, Soler has a history of big moments in the postseason having taken World Series MVP honors with Atlanta in 2021, so that could keep him viable on the trade market.

One thing still stands out on his Statcast page: bat speed, where he ranks in the 94th percentile. That’s also why he hit the longest home run in the big leagues this year on Sunday, a 478-foot blast in Colorado.

The Giants came into the week back three games in the NL race with a 48-52 record.

Joc Pederson, DH, Arizona Diamondbacks

The only lefty hitter on this list, Pederson is another veteran slugger with strong playoff experience under his belt, having won the World Series both with the Dodgers in 2020 and alongside Soler with the Braves the next season.

Pederson is having the best year at the plate of the three players Rogers mentioned, slashing .274/.375/.496 for an .871 OPS with 13 homers and 13 doubles in 81 games.

Contract-wise, the 32-year-old Pederson would potentially be a rental. He’s making $9.5 million this year, and his deal includes a mutual option at $14 million for 2025.

Like Soler, Pederson has not appeared in the field this season, only serving as a DH. He has played first base sparingly in his career in addition to being a natural outfielder, however, so his days in the field may not be completely numbered.

Pederson’s Statcast page is full of red, which is a good thing. He ranks highest in average exit velocity (90th percentile), xwOBA (86th) and batting run value (85th).

Unfortunately, Pederson plays for a team that looks less and less likely to sell by the day. The Diamondbacks have won six of their last eight games, and at 51-39 they’re currently tied for the NL’s third wild card with the New York Mets and San Diego Padres.

Hear the full Bump and Stacy conversation with ESPN MLB reporter Jesse Rogers in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Catch Bump and Stacy from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

Seattle Mariners and the MLB trade deadline

• ESPN’s Passan: One hitter makes most sense for a Mariners trade
• Salk: The bats Mariners could pursue in limited trade market
• ESPN insider’s view on Mariners and Astros’ trade deadline plans
• Mariners’ Jerry Dipoto explains the trouble with this MLB trade deadline
• Alex Rodriguez details the type of hitters Seattle Mariners should target

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Seattle, WA

Archbishops in Boston, Seattle place friendly wager on hometown teams in Super Bowl – The Boston Globe

Published

1 hour ago

February 7, 2026

Press Room

Archbishops in Boston, Seattle place friendly wager on hometown teams in Super Bowl – The Boston Globe

If Jesus were a football fan, who would he be rooting for in Sunday’s Super Bowl?

Who knows, but the archbishops of Boston and Seattle know where they stand.

Boston Archbishop Richard G. Henning is firmly for the New England Patriots. And Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne is squarely in the Seahawks camp.

Ahead of Super Bowl LX on Sunday, the two clergymen have bet a $500 bet that their teams will raise the championship trophy after the Feb. 8 game.

Whoever pays up, the money will go to Catholic Charities Immigrant Services in the winning team’s city.

While both acknowledge that people are living in “extraordinary times,” they also believe that sports brings people together, the Boston archdiocee said in a statement Friday.

“It is important that we are very mindful of the difficult, painful, and traumatic events of recent weeks and months that are playing out across the country,” the archdiocese said. “That said, sports can be a unifier and bring people and communities together with the Super Bowl being the most watched event annually in the United States.”

The archdiocese is also grateful for the longtime support of the Patriots organization.

Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas (3) on his way to a touchdown in the first half of the Patriots-Texans divisional round playoff game.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff

Team owner Robert Kraft, along with wide receiver DeMario Douglas and former players Devon McCourty and Matthew Slater, are “very engaged” in the Archdiocese of Boston, Catholic schools and other entities, the statement said said.

“And of course, we are very confident that the Patriots will prevail and bring back their 7th Super Bowl win!” the archdiocese said.

Adam Sennott can be reached at adam.sennott@globe.com.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle and Boston face off in showdown of Super Bowl cities

Published

13 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Press Room

Seattle and Boston face off in showdown of Super Bowl cities

The Seattle Seahawks will take on the New England Patriots this Sunday in Super Bowl LX.

For the Seahawks, it’s a chance at redemption as they chase their second Lombardi trophy after losing to the Patriots, led then by quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick, over a decade ago.

Meanwhile, the Patriots, whose stadium is located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, are going for glory and their record-breaking seventh Super Bowl title.

As the teams prepare for the big game, the dueling NFL cities look to outshine each other.

Seattle vs. New England

Known as the Emerald City, Seattle is a tech hub, home to Amazon’s headquarters, while New England’s history dates back to colonial times. The USS Constitution in Boston is the oldest warship still floating.

Both are known for pop culture.

The popular and longtime series “Grey’s Anatomy” is based in Seattle. But one of the stars on the show for 11 seasons – Patrick Dempsey – is from New England and a lifelong Red Sox fan.

Seattle isn’t alone in being the backdrop to a popular TV show. “Cheers” was set in Boston and is where Kelsey Grammer got his big break. But the fictional character he played on the show, Frasier Crane, is from Seattle.

Traditions are strong in these NFL cities that sit at opposite ends of the country. While candlepin bowling and ice fishing are New England classics, Seattle is known as the nation’s glass art capital and as the birthplace of grunge.

The two are even divided when it comes to coffee shops.

Starbucks was founded in Seattle in 1971 and Dunkin is a Boston original. But the modern automated donut machine was invented in Seattle, while Boston cream pies, a timeless dessert, was created at the Omni Hotel in Boston.

Back on the gridiron, this will be the Patriots 12th Super Bowl appearance. They are heading into the game with a perfect 9-0 road record this season.

For Seattle, quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks soared to the best record in the NFC and an all-time franchise record with 14 wins.

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Seattle, WA

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Wins AP Offensive Player Of The Year

Published

1 day ago

February 6, 2026

Press Room

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Wins AP Offensive Player Of The Year

Seattle Seahawks third-year receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was named the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year, for a season campaign that included 1,793 receiving yards, which led the NFL, on 119 receptions and 10 touchdowns.

“What an honor,” Smith-Njigba said on receiving the award. “I want to first give all the glory to God. Second, I want to give it to my teammates. I want to thank y’all. I love y’all. Y’all are who I do it for each and every week. I want to give this award to my father. Going into my last year [of college], he told me to pray for wisdom, and I did. Before going into that season, I wanted to be a Top 5 draft choice, I wanted to be a Heisman candidate, a bunch of things, and ultimately, I wasn’t able to play and I think with that time, I grew wise and figured out a lot about myself, and who I wanted to be and who I wanted to do it for. Ultimately dropping to the 20^th draft pick where I was selected by the Seattle Seahawks and I can’t thank everyone involved enough.”

Smith-Njigba’s third season was filled with breaking records while helping to make Seattle’s offense the No. 3 scoring offense this season (483 total points, 29.2 points per game).

Along with leading the NFL in receiving yards, he became the first player in NFL history with at least 75 receiving yards in each of his first 11 games of a season. He had nine 100+ yard games this season, with a season best of 167 yards in Week 12. He also had nine 100-yard games this season, the most in the NFL, and the most in a single season in franchise history. Along with that, Smith-Njigba set multiple franchise records and did enough to put his name next to NFL greats in the league record books.

This season he also became the third player in NFL history 23 years old or younger with at least 1,700 receiving yards in a single season and set the franchise record for most receptions in a single season with a career-high 119.

“There’s a lot of great receivers in this league who don’t have as diverse of a skill set as he does,” head coach Mike Macdonald said. “Anywhere from an intermediate route tree, catch-and-run stuff at the line of scrimmage, and then we’ve seen his ability to track the ball at the third level and keep his body position, all that kind of stuff.”

Smith-Njigba also won the Air and Ground Player of the Year award that was announced at NFL Honors.

He is just the second Seahawks player to win this award ever after Shaun Alexander won the award in 2005. Kenny Easley and Cortez Kennedy both won the Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1984 and 1992, respectively.

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