Mariners can grab hold of the AL West with these 4 blockbuster trades

The Seattle Mariners began the season as the clear-cut AL West favorites, but even after winning nine of their past 11 games, Seattle is 34-31, leading the charge in perhaps MLB's weakest division by only 2.5 games. The Mariners have been better of late, but they haven't played their best baseball overall, and might need to make a big trade to ensure themselves a second straight AL West title.

With that in mind, here are four players Seattle should be targeting in its quest to get back to October.

OF Byron Buxton

This season has brought more of the same kind of results for the Mariners, who rank fifth in staff ERA but 16th in runs scored. With that in mind, going out and acquiring a big bat would be the best possible move they can make, and I'm not sure there will be a better hitter available than Byron Buxton.

Now, whether Buxton is actually available remains to be seen. Not only has the star outfielder refused to waive his no-trade clause in the past, but the Minnesota Twins, despite sitting at six games under .500, are only 2.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the AL. With that being said, the Mariners are a team good enough to perhaps pursuade Buxton to waive his no-trade clause, and they have the farm system necessary to overwhelm the Twins if they get an opportunity.

Adding Buxton to the top of a Mariners order already consisting of the likes of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, Randy Arozarena and Brendan Donovan might make them the favorites to win the World Series, let alone the AL West, especially when considering the pitching staff they have.

LHP Aroldis Chapman

The Mariners have assembled one of the best bullpens in the sport, thanks largely to their late-game relievers. A back end of the bullpen featuring the likes of Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, Jose A. Ferrer, Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo is tough to beat, and adding Aroldis Chapman to that group would make it borderline unfair.

Assuming the Boston Red Sox don't claw their way back into the postseason hunt, Chapman figures to be one of the most sought after players at this year's deadline, as he's allowed just one run on nine hits in 19.2 innings of work, pitching to a 0.46 ERA. Chapman is still throwing incredibly hard and he's converted each of his 13 save opportunities.

The Mariners might not need much bullpen help, but if a talent like Chapman becomes available, you acquire him in an effort to put you over the hump.

OF Taylor Ward

Something the Mariners do need, though, is to improve their offense, particularly against left-handed pitching. The Mariners rank 28th in the majors with an 83 wRC+ against southpaws, a jarring contrast when compared against their AL-leading 119 wRC+ against righties. Taylor Ward is a player who can help in that regard.

This has been a weird year for Ward, who has a .398 on-base percentage, the 10th-best mark among all qualifiers, but only two home runs. Ward hit 36 home runs in 2025 and has three 20+ home run campaigns, so his power outage is hard to explain, but adding Ward as a table-setter in front of the Mariners' big boppers should help their offense immensely.

Plus, Ward's .792 OPS against lefties would be better than any Mariner not named Julio Rodriguez, and he has a career .822 mark against them. It's not a given that the Orioles would sell, but Ward is on an expiring contract, making him a prime trade candidate if they do. Whether the Mariners platoon Ward with one of their left-handed-hitting outfielders or choose to play him every day, he's a clear fit.

LHP Tarik Skubal

And now we're back at a player the Mariners technically don't need. Seattle's rotation, as has become tradition, is arguably the best in the sport. A postseason rotation featuring Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Emerson Hancock, with Bryce Miller as insurance, would be tough for anyone to beat as is. It'd be even tougher, though, with arguably the best pitcher on the planet in the fold.

I don't know whether the Tigers would be willing to trade Skubal, as they've been better of late, but Mariners fans know all too well the kind of value Tarik Skubal can bring to a playoff series. He nearly willed the Tigers past Seattle in the 2025 ALDS by allowing just three runs in 13 innings. If his offense helped him even a little bit in either of his starts, the Tigers would've eliminated the Mariners.

It's unlikely that the Mariners trade for Skubal, a player who went to Seattle University, because their rotation doesn't need help, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't. If the Mariners are serious about winning a World Series, this is the kind of move they should make. Yes, it'd cost a lot. Yes, his injury would make the proposition of trading a ton to acquire him even scarier. No, the Mariners likely wouldn't re-sign him in the offseason. No, they shouldn't care about any of this. One World Series win would make everything worthwhile, and knowing how valuable Skubal can be in October makes this an easy risk to take.

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