With a struggling lineup and a bullpen that’s been hampered by injuries, the first-place Seattle Mariners certainly have some clear needs to address ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Big Game Hunting: Two splashy potential Mariners trade targets

According to one MLB insider, that process is already underway.

“The Mariners already have begun talking with teams about possible trades, with the deadline exactly one month away,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi posted Sunday morning on social media. “For now, Seattle’s focus is an everyday bat and bullpen help.”

The Mariners already have begun talking with teams about possible trades, with the deadline exactly one month away. For now, Seattle’s focus is an everyday bat and bullpen help. @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 30, 2024

The Mariners currently sit atop the American League West at 47-38, holding a 4.5-game lead over the second-place Houston Astros and a nine-game lead over the Texas Rangers. Seattle has built that lead with its elite starting rotation, which leads the majors with 50 quality starts and ranks fourth with a starting pitching ERA of 3.41.

However, the Mariners’ exceptional starting pitching has been contrasted by an offense that sits at or near the bottom of the majors in nearly every major statistical category. Seattle ranks 27th in runs per game (3.87), dead-last in batting average (.218), 25th in on-base percentage (.298), 26th in slugging percentage (.366) and 26th in OPS (.664). The Mariners also have the highest strikeout rate at 27.9%, which is 1.6% higher than the the next-closest team.

Bats aren’t Seattle’s only need, though. The Mariners’ injury-depleted bullpen could also use some help. Over the first month of the season, Seattle’s bullpen led the majors in WHIP (1.04) and ranked third in ERA (2.56). But since May 1, the Mariners’ bullpen ranks 23rd in ERA (4.59) and 15th in WHIP (1.25).

The Mariners have been without two of their top three relievers this season, with Matt Brash out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery and Gregory Santos missing the first half of the season with a lat strain. Gabe Speier also is on the 15-day injured list with a rotator cuff strain, Tayler Saucedo missed three weeks with a hyperextended knee and closer Andrés Muñoz recently missed a few days earlier this month after aggravating a lower-back issue.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Rowland-Smith: What stands out about Mariners pitchers’ recent hiccups
• Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez putting in extra work to solve struggles
• Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Bryan Woo, Gabe Speier and more
• Mariners reliever Gregory Santos to begin rehab assignment
• Rost: The two things about first-place Seattle Mariners’ season that are baffling

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SEATTLE (AP) — Byron Buxton extended Minnesota’s home run streak to 18 straight games with a three-run shot in the sixth inning, Pablo López allowed one run over six innings, and the Twins beat the Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Saturday night.

Minnesota Twins 5, Seattle Mariners 1: Box Score

Minnesota improved to 5-3 on its current nine-game road trip and got the 5,000th win in franchise history since the Twins moved from Washington prior to the 1961 season.

Buxton homered for the second time in three games, this time breaking the game open with a shot off Seattle reliever Trent Thornton with two outs in the sixth inning. Thornton was on the verge of escaping trouble after the first two batters of the inning reached, but he left a 2-2 fastball in the middle of the plate and Buxton didn’t miss for his eighth homer of the season.

“He’s finding ways to just have good at-bats, put himself in good counts. But the swing, I’ve said a couple of times before, looks very synched up. It looks very tight and it’s very impactful. He’s finding the barrel and the ball just really takes off when he’s putting good swings on the ball,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.

Minnesota’s 18-game streak of long balls is tied for the franchise record set last season between April 18 and May 6, 2023. It’s the second-longest streak in the majors this season behind Baltimore’s 22-game stretch earlier this month, and the Twins have hit 29 homers during the span.

Buxton also had a two-out RBI double in the fourth inning off Seattle starter Bryce Miller that barely eluded the diving attempt of Luke Raley in left field. The four RBIs were a season high for Buxton and the most since July 21, 2023, against the White Sox.

“Once you figure out what you don’t have to search for the whole time going into the cage, not spending 40 minutes on that one little piece you’re trying to figure out it kind of simplifies the game a little bit more,” Buxton said. “When I say, ‘see ball, hit ball,’ it’s more just about simplifying it to just go out there and have a quality at-bat.”

Coming off a 14-strikeout performance in his last start, López (8-6) scattered four hits and struck out nine. He’s allowed six hits and one earned run in his last 14 innings, and retired 12 of the final 13 batters he faced.

Seattle’s only run off López came via Mitch Haniger’s solo homer in the third inning. It was Haniger’s seventh homer of the season but his first since May 14.

Miller (6-7) was lifted after five innings and only allowing two runs. But he had to work to get through those five innings throwing 87 pitches and with the heart of the Twins order coming up in the sixth.

Miller allowed five hits and struck out six.

“He did have to throw a lot of offspeed pitches tonight, probably the most he’s thrown all year, but he was able to work through it,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “It wasn’t easy. … He had to grind through it.”

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Joe Ryan (5-5, 3.31) has pitched at least six innings in his last four starts. He allowed four runs over six innings in his last outing against Arizona.

Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (6-9, 3.79) will throw on normal rest rather than giving him two extra days off and having him start Tuesday’s series opener against Baltimore. Castillo has lost three of his last four starts.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Big Game Hunting: Two splashy potential Mariners trade targets
• Rost: The two things about first-place Mariners’ season that are baffling
• Rowland-Smith: What stands out about Mariners pitchers’ recent hiccups
• Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Bryan Woo, Gabe Speier and more
• Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez putting in extra work to solve struggles

The 2024 NHL Draft continued starting with the second round Saturday, and the Seattle Kraken kicked off the day in a similar fashion to Friday’s first round by tapping into an in-state Western Hockey League squad.

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Rounds 2 through 7 took place on the draft’s second and final day. Here’s a look at the seven players Seattle picked on Saturday, plus Friday’s first-round pick.

Round 1

Eighth overall: Berkly Catton, C

The Kraken kicked off their fourth draft as a franchise by taking a talented offensive prospect in Catton from the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. The 18-year-old center racked up 54 goals and 62 assists with the Chiefs last season. Catton, a 5 foot 10, 170-pounder, was the WHL Rookie of the Year in 2022-23 with 23 goals and 22 assists.

🎥BERKLY CATTON – HIGHLIGHT REEL🎥

The purrfect highlight reel doesn’t exi—@spokanechiefs | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/EMoIJ3MfkP

— The WHL (@TheWHL) June 28, 2024

The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native is a left-handed shot and the eighth-ranked North American skater in the draft, according to NHL Central Scouting.

Round 2

40th overall: Julius Miettinen, C

Seattle’s second pick came from one of Spokane’s cross-state division rivals in the WHL. Miettinen, a 6 foot 3, 203-pounder, netted 31 goals and added 36 assists for the Everett Silvertips last season.

Hey @SeattleKraken.

You’re gonna LOVE Julius Miettinen.#SeaKraken | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/6SiKXEBKq7

— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) June 29, 2024

The Helsinki, Finland, native is another left-handed-shooting centerman, but much larger in stature than Catton. Miettinen was a late riser on draft boards, moving from 49th to 18th in NHL Central Scouting’s final international skater rankings.

63rd overall: Nathan Villeneuve, C

The Kraken continued their early run on centers by taking Villeneuve from the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves with their second second-round pick. Villeneuve, an Ottawa, Ontario, native, amassed 23 goals and 27 assists in 56 games with the Wolves last season.

2024 #NHLDraft prospect Nathan Villeneuve capped the @Sudbury_Wolves‘ comeback Friday night with the OT winner! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/80ZoZy4B9C

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) February 24, 2024

The 5-foot-11, 192-pounder made it three for three in terms of left-handed shooters taken early by Seattle. Villeneuve, 18, is the 60th-ranked North American skater.

Round 3

73rd overall: Alexis Bernier, D

Bernier, 18, had four goals and 27 assists in 67 games for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League last season. Bernier, a 6-foot-1, 189-pound right-handed shot, is the 62nd-ranked North American skater.

88th overall: Kim Saarinen, G

Saarinen, 17, is a big-bodied goaltender who played across multiple levels in Finland this past season. The 6-foot-4, 176-pounder from Finland is the third-ranked international goalie.

Round 4

105th overall: Oliver Josephson, C

Josephson, 17, was the third left-handed WHL centerman taken by the Kraken. He totaled 12 goals and 35 assists for the Red Deer Rebels last season. Josephson, who measures in at 6-foot, 178 pounds, is the 40th-ranked North American skater.

It’s a shortie for Ollie Josephson!@Rebelshockey | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/dPIfYJeeGH

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 6, 2023

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Round 5

141st overall: Clarke Caswell, LW

Caswell, 18, scored 26 goals and dished out 51 assists for the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos last season. The 5 foot 11, 170-pounder is the 77th-ranked North American skater.

Round 7

202nd overall: Jakub Fibigr, D

Fibigr, 17, netted seven goals and had 36 assists in 61 games for the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League last season. The 6-foot, 171-pounder is a left-handed shot and the 67th-ranked North American skater.

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