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

Follow @BrentStecker