After a very tough loss on Monday night, the Seattle Mariners are now 53-49 and tied for first place in the American League West.

Though have slumped to a 7-12 record in July, and though they have lost a 10.0 game in the American League West, they are still in a tie for first place, and that can’t be ignored.

However, the team’s recent slide could change the tune at the upcoming trade deadline despite that fact, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Passan wrote this on Tuesday for ESPN about the state of the M’s:

Adding — within reason.The Mariners have taken a precipitous fall in recent weeks that could prompt them to reconsider their deadline tack. At one point they were all-in. They still must add. Considering the grim state of their offense — reflected in them placing first baseman Ty France on outright waivers — standing pat would be heresy. They’ve got the best rotation in the AL and a top-5 farm system that some believe is the best in the game. With a representative offense, they could soar. How aggressive they get could depend on the next week, when they’ve got the easiest schedule in baseball: the Angels for two more games, after a series-opening ninth-inning implosion, then the White Sox for three. The ideal situation would be to match up with a team that has under-control bats so if this year goes sideways, not too much prospect capital is spent for naught. But considering the state of the obvious offloaders, finding such a trade partner could prove difficult.

Some Mariners fans on social media have taken Passan’s words as an afront and are bothered that the team could go from “all-in” to “in, within reason” in the span of a month, but it makes sense, doesn’t it?

We have no idea what the Mariners will do this year and we want the Mariners to be good this year – and for subsequent years – so the best way to do that seems to ensure that you are getting players that can help you beyond this current run. Jazz Chisholm Jr., the name we’ve heard most connected to the Mariners, helps in that regard. So does Luis Robert Jr., and so does Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

With the exception of Pete Alonso, most Mariners fans have been out on the idea of a rental player all along, and Passan just confirms that way of thinking from the organization’s standpoint.

Perhaps if the Mariners just start playing better, none of the excess conversation will matter, but that’s a big if.

The Mariners play the Angels again tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT.

NEW PODCAST EPISODE IS OUT: The latest episode of the “Refuse to Lose” podcast is out! In this episode, we talk about the frustrations of the Astros series, the looming trade deadline and more, including a talk with longtime Mariners scribe Nathan Bishop. CLICK HERE:

JULIO UPDATE: Manager Scott Servais met with the media on Monday to discuss the latest on Julio Rodriguez and his injured ankle. CLICK HERE:

JP OUT: After getting hit by a pitch on Monday night, shortstop JP Crawford is headed to the injured list. CLICK HERE:

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