Josh Willingham trade rumors: Seattle Mariners talking to Twins about Willingham

In an effort to apparently acquire all of the mediocre, possibly washed up bats that they can, the Seattle Mariners are reportedly in talks with the Minnesota Twins about acquiring outfielder Josh Willingham.

The Mariners have been in on just about every hitter that could be available, ranging from Willingham to Marlon Byrd to the deal they recently made, also with the Twins, for Kendrys Morales. Maybe the two sides laid the groundwork for another deal when they executed the first one.

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Willingham struggled for a while but has started to turn things around. He is batting .219/.361/.421 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI. Those on-base numbers are a plus, and teams know that the power could come at a moment’s notice with Willingham. How much that is worth in a trade is another story.

After a breakthrough debut season with the Twins in 2012, Willingham has struggled through a couple tough seasons. With a contract that is up at season’s end, he serves as a typical trade deadline candidate.

The Twins cannot reasonably expect to get a ton of value for Willingham, but even a low-end return will be tempting as a way to part with the veteran slugger. As for the Mariners, I suppose that between Willingham, Morales, and Corey Hart, they are bound to put get themselves one player who can post big numbers, even if it takes combining all three of those guys together.

Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided’s MLB Rumors page to stay up to date with the latest action and rumblings from the baseball hot stove this trade season.