Seattle, WA
Ranking the Seattle Mariners' trade needs by position
At this point, it feels as if any hitter with a pulse and a wRC+ near 100 has been brought up as a potential trade candidate for the Seattle Mariners. The names have been rolling in for weeks due to the continued struggles of the offense.
Insider: Deep, young farm system gives Seattle Mariners ammo for deadline
Rather than take a look at specific names, let’s take a look at the the Mariners’ five biggest trade needs by position.
1. Corner outfield
The need here is somewhat specific: The Mariners could really use a right-handed bat in the corner outfield that mashes left-handers and is still productive enough to play mostly everyday against righties. After a track record of hitting left-handers well, Mitch Haniger has struggled mightily against lefties this season, slashing .150/.218/.163 with just one extra-base hit in 87 plate appearances, and left-handed bats Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone have shown they’re best suited for platoon roles at this point in their careers.
Canzone also just went on the injured list with a right adductor strain, which resulted in prospect Jonatan Clase being recalled from Tacoma. Clase is intriguing due to his speed, power potential and ability as a switch-hitter, but he’s still unproven and appears to need more seasoning at just 22 years old with less than 300 at-bats above Double-A.
One potential candidate the Mariners have internally is right-handed hitting Victor Robles, but they haven’t seemed very eager to give him a chance to play regularly. Robles has hit well in his limited time with Seattle, but he also profiles as a platoon bat with much better career numbers against left-handers (.732 OPS vs. lefties, .647 vs. righties).
Additionally, there just aren’t any viable outfield options within the farm system that could give the team the offensive spark it needs in 2024. While a right-handed bat would be ideal, Seattle also isn’t in position to balk at acquiring an impactful left-handed hitter. Corner outfield bats are normally among the easier pieces to acquire at the deadline. However, that may not ring as true this season with offensive numbers down across the league and a muddled wild card race in the National League. Regardless, Seattle desperately needs more offensive production from a corner outfielder other than Raley.
2. Second base
There could certainly be a healthy debate between second base and first base being in this spot, but I’ll lean towards second for a couple of reasons. The first is that second base has been an absolute black hole for the franchise for multiple years offensively. Jorge Polanco appears to be the latest casualty. The other is that it doesn’t feel as if internal options can truly give this team the offensive spark it needs.
In theory, the Mariners could trade for a third baseman and run a platoon of Josh Rojas and Dylan Moore/Ryan Bliss at second, which probably improves the offense. But why move Rojas off third base when he’s been the best defender in the league at the hot corner? Moore and Bliss provide good speed and defense, but neither seem likely to provide the consistent hitting this team needs to improve. Seattle second basemen rank 29th in batting average (.198), 27th in slugging (.311) and 25th in wRC+ (80) this season.
3. First base
Ty France once looked like a player who could potentially contend for a batting title, but the version of the first baseman the Mariners saw when they acquired him from the Padres in 2020 through the first half of the 2022 season seems to have disappeared. France is slashing .240/.323/.370 with a 101 wRC+ since he played in the 2022 All-Star Game. A league-average bat is actually a pretty good thing for the Mariners at this point and would be fine in a part-time role, but it’s just not the type of offensive production a team needs from a starting first baseman. After retooling his swing in the offseason at Driveline, there were some positive signs for France during a solid first couple of months this year, particularly in May, but he’s struggled since going on the IL with a right heel fracture in early June.
If there’s someone in the farm system who has a chance to make a real difference offensively this season, Tyler Locklear seems like the best candidate. Locklear would provide power and more athleticism at a minimum, but a proven bat from an outside source would be a better bet.
4. Reliever
Considering the huge gap in level of performance between the pitching and the offense, it feels odd putting any sort of pitching on the list, but the Mariners could still use another high-leverage arm out of the bullpen. With Matt Brash out for the season, Seattle is an Andrés Muñoz injury away from being without a true, top-level, high-leverage arm, and Muñoz has notably battled through lower back issues throughout the season already. Ryne Stanek has been a solid addition to the group, but he isn’t a guy you necessarily want being your top leverage arm. The recent addition of Gregory Santos off the injured list should help as well, but it would also be foolish to pen in someone who’s been hurt all season as a certain lockdown arm, even one with the type of stuff Santos has.
With that said, this group is in better shape than it could be thanks to great first halves from Muñoz and less-heralded bullpen pieces Trent Thornton, Tayler Saucedo and Austin Voth.
5. Designated hitter
After multiple seasons of using a rotation at designated hitter with diminishing returns, the Mariners committed to a full-time DH when they signed Mitch Garver to a two-year deal this offseason. However, it never really worked out early on, and manager Scott Servais started giving Garver time as the backup catcher in an effort to jump start is struggling bat. To his credit, Garver has recovered from very poor first month and steadily become more of consistent force in the lineup. The .174 batting average leaves a lot to be desired, but he’s getting on base and providing power when he does make contact. Garver leads the team with 38 walks, is second with 12 home runs and third with 12 doubles.
This isn’t to say the Mariners need to trade for a full-time DH, because Garver needs to get at-bats outside of one or two games a week filling in for Cal Raleigh, but there’s no reason to say no to acquiring a player whose bat warrants regular playing time and glove doesn’t (like the 2023 version of Miami’s Jake Burger acquisition). The M’s could find some at-bats at DH for such a player. It’s also worth noting that Garver has seen some limited action at first base (51 innings over 15 games) during his career. It doesn’t seem very likely, but that’s another place he could potentially get at-bats if another DH type was brought in.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• What can Seattle Mariners expect from reliever Gregory Santos?
• Mariners Quick Hits: What’s controllable for offense; Raley’s bunt ability
• Clubhouse Insider: Local product Austin Voth’s bullpen breakout
• Headline Rewrites: Reading between lines of two M’s prospect moves
• Seattle Mariners Trade Target: A hot-hitting infielder from the Reds
Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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