Seattle, WA
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
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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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
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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